Vince Recommends
On the day it released I purchased the new Mumford & Sons cd, “Babel.” I kept trying to listen to it, but had a busy week and repeatedly only got to the fourth or fifth song.
Finally on Saturday morning I listened to the whole thing. I did it early morning while I was pulling weeds in our yard. There actually seemed to be something appropriate about being close to the ground, working in the dirt, listening to Mumford & Sons, because their music has a very earthy feel.
Mumford’s songs are big and dramatic and not very “now”. They feel like they should be a soundtrack for a Daniel Day Lewis period piece like There Will Be Blood or Gangs of New York.
When I got done weeding I went inside and ate breakfast (Greek yogurt – I have a weight loss bet with one of my dopey co-workers). Then I went to the bathroom, washed my hands, looked in the mirror, and saw that my head and face were covered in blood. A thorn from a palm tree branch had gone through my skull. The blood everywhere seemed appropriate with the There Will Be Blood or Gangs of New York feel. (And, yes, you should be impressed that I am so tough I barely realize when I’m about to bleed out.)
So, the cd? It’s really good. With a couple more listens, I think I’ll love it. But … I have to say that I would give their first, Sigh No More, an A+ (one of my favorites of all time) and I think this new one is more of a B+.