Mumford & Sons - Babel
Yesterday we reviewed Frank Ocean's debut album, Channel Orange. With that review, we decided to format in in a different way. We received mixed reviews from our audience. Therefore, we are going to try again today, with some minor changes. After today, let us know what you would prefer to read in the future. We really appreciate all of your feedback and we hope you enjoy todays review.
Babel is the second album released by Mumford & Sons. This album was released in September of last year to incredible reception. Their debut album, Sigh No More, was the third most downloaded album of 2011, even though it was released in 2008. Sign No More has sold over 2.5 million copies. After their incredible breakthrough album, there was a lot of anticipation and pressure for the release of their follow up album. Sigh No More may be one of the best albums of the decade, so it would be very difficult to outdo themselves on their sophomore record.
Even with all of the ridiculous expectations that were set for them, Babel was a huge success. It debuted at number one in both the UK and the US and sold of 750,000 copies in its first week! That made it the fastest selling album of 2012 in the United Kingdom. The album is nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
The album starts off with the title track, "Babel". This song represents the changes the band has made over the time in between their two records. This album is far more powerful and smoother than its predecessor. This song is so crisp, it flies past the quality of Sigh No More's sound. I'm not saying that Sigh No More was of poor sound quality, but their latest album is exceptionally well done. The second song, "Whispers in the Dark", shows off the other new side of Mumford & Sons. This song exhibits Marcus Mumford's abilities as a songwriter. It's a new flavor of the band that we hadn't seen on their previous album.
Other stand out songs include "Reminder" and "Broken Crown". "Reminder" is a slower song that comes in at only 2 minutes. It is a song of disappearing love that is simple, but one of the most moving on the album. "Broken Crown" is one of the album's best songs. It starts off slow and suspenseful and builds up to an incredibly powerful final two minutes. From Mumford's intense vocals to the banjo that is consistent in most Mumford & Sons' songs, this was a fantastic song. Additionally, this is the requisite single that features a vehement F-bomb. On Sigh No More, the song "Little Lion Man" earned this honor.
Mumford & Sons' British indie rock style is one that before their debut, was unheard of. After their success, many bands have attempted to mock their unique style. *cough-Phillip Phillips-cough* However, none have been able to achieve the amount of triumph Mumford & Sons have earned. There is not another band that can compete with Mumford in the genre of Modern Folk music. This is easily one of the best albums of 2012 and my favorite to win the category of Album of the Year.
Top 5 Songs From Babel
1. Babel
2. I Will Wait
3. Babel
4. Lover of the Light
5. Ghosts That We Knew
5. The Boxer (feat. Jerry Douglas & Paul Simon) [Bonus Track]
Listen to Babel on Spotify:
Buy Babel on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/babel-deluxe-edition/id548698631
Do you have any suggestions that you want to share with us? Which style of reviews do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below!!
CLICK HERE TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!!!!!!
I really enjoyed this. I read some of your older reviews and I think you could do both styles. I liked reading both, the track-by-track reviews are more specific, while this one is easier to read. It's up to you, but I think you should do a mix of both! Great work!
ReplyDeleteAaah! I love this album! It's got like guitars and banjos or whatever, but it's not country. Also they do (imho) a good job of balancing sad songs with fast paced ones.
ReplyDeleteYou said Babel twice in the list of the best songs
ReplyDelete