With the emergence of their first album Sigh No More in 2009, Mumford & Sons established themselves as a banjo-playing, hand-clapping, modern folk band popular among alternative rock fans. The group released their new record Wilder Mind May 4, and this time around, something is different.
Though the band maintains their mostly up-beat, easy-going vibe, Wilder Mind misses a key component from their past endeavors: the banjo. Mumford & Sons set aside their acoustic sound, and replaced their signature banjo with an electric guitar, assumedly to revamp their image. This is most prevalent in the album’s most popular song, “Believe.”
The album’s seventh song, “Snake Eyes,” presents a dull, constant melody with soft, whispery vocals to match, but this is quickly shifted by the insertion of a fast paced drum and guitar combo, which revitalizes the song. Overall, Wilder Mind is a slow and depressing contrast to the group’s past discography.
One positive distinction of the record is the collaborative nature of the songs. As lead singer Marcus Mumford told Rolling Stone, “The boys kept coming up with a bunch of amazing lyrics that I found really fun to sing.”
This is another example of Mumford & Sons using this album to break them free of their previous image.
For those who look to Mumford & Sons for their upbeat, folksy fix, Wilder Mind could prove a disappointment. Yet, it may also provide an emotional outlet because of its humbly morose qualities.
