Marcus Mumford plays guitar and sings with the British acoustic folk rock band Mumford and Sons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit during their Delta Tour on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Credit: John T. Greilick/ The Detroit News via TNS
After a seven-year gap from producing a full-length album, British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons has returned to the music scene.
The group’s homecoming is marked by the Friday release of its fifth studio album, “Rushmere.” The album also signifies the band’s first project as a trio — including lead vocalist Marcus Mumford, bassist Ted Dwane and pianist/keyboardist Ben Lovett — following former guitarist Winston Marshall’s departure in June 2021.
Outside of the band’s famous songs like “Little Lion Man,” “I Will Wait” and “The Cave,” Mumford & Sons is known for its blend of traditional folk music with modern rock, often incorporating instruments like the banjo, bass and drums. This sound has stayed consistent throughout the group’s 17-year musical career, with “Rushmere” being no exception. In fact, the project returns to the band’s folk roots, touching on themes similar to those of early albums, as the band’s previous 2018 release “Delta” was more pop-leaning.
The 10-track album opens with “Malibu,” a song that starts off with quiet banjo and percussion in the background, accompanied by lead singer Marcus Mumford’s vocals. The lyrics of the opening song set the tone for the rest of the album, referencing themes of existentialism and self-discovery. As the song continues, Mumford’s vocals get stronger, and the instrumentals build to a crescendo at the second chorus.
The upbeat vibe continues into “Caroline,” though the lyrics hint at something more depressing than the beat suggests: “This love can only last if I’m not around / Caroline, you can go your own way / But my face will follow you down and fill your dreams.”
Pairing melancholic lyrics with an addictive beat has become a growing trend among folk artists, seen in songs like Noah Kahan’s “Dial Drunk” and Zach Bryan’s “Heavy Eyes,” with both artists citing Mumford & Sons as a key influence.
Closing out the opening three songs is the album’s title track, “Rushmere.” The song keeps a consistent energy level, sounding fairly similar to the previous tracks. The lyrics “Time don’t let us down again / ‘Cause I won’t wait.” gift a subtle nod to the band’s earlier music. The ending line of “Rushmere” makes it clear the band has no intentions of waiting around for its next big moment.
“Monochrome” takes a somber approach, being the first ballad-style song on the album. The track uses subtle piano and soft acoustic guitar to create a gentle push and pull of self-exploration and adoration for the other person in the song. Mumford sings “Hyacinth girl / You are peace / There is life in the ground beneath your feet.”
The track “Truth” pulls in heavy bass and percussion to create more of a hard-rock feel in comparison to the rest of the album and most of Mumford & Sons’ discography. The song’s instrumentals and bold lyrics make it a standout on the album, and for all the right reasons: It explores a newer genre of music for the group, while also remaining faithful to its classic style.
The rest of the album feels fairly similar to the first half; “Where It Belongs” and “Anchor” channel back to a slower, more introspective ambiance. “Surrender” follows the same formula as “Malibu,” beginning with quiet vocals and background music that transform into a punchy song by the end.
“Blood On The Page” features American-folk artist Madison Cunningham and dives deeper into the mind of an artist. The song does a nice job of combining Mumford & Sons’ style with Cunningham’s, making sure neither party is overshadowed by the other. “There’s blood on the page / I’m in over my head,” the duo sings in a calm harmony that is kept steady for the duration of the song.
Ending with “Carry On,” another song that echoes the style of several other tracks on the album, “Rushmere” comes to a close after 34 minutes.
Though the revival of folk music is promising, especially for bands that held a pivotal role in making the genre big, the unfortunate part is that a lot of the music can start to sound the same. Sticking to a signature style is great, but there comes a point at which any new music sounds the same as older albums, which is what has happened to Mumford & Sons.
Some songs explore new sounds, but for the most part, the instruments and lyrical style feel unchanged when compared to the group’s first works. Mumford & Sons’ return to the music scene after its hiatus is well-received, but not because it’s a groundbreaking project; rather, it seems, fans are just happy to sink back into the familiar.
Rating: 3.5/5
