The pressure was on for my inaugural post on Follinglo...I've been racking my brain (which is normally bursting with music) all weekend for the artist with that je-ne-sais-quoi. Though it was quite a tough call, today
I pay homage to my dear friends V&M and the land they love so deeply. I'm talking, of course, about England, a country whose hills have birthed some of music's greatest treasures. This is the land of the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, even Radiohead. Today we go to foggy London-town, birthplace of one of my favorite new bands, Mumford & Sons.
Marcus Mumford. Country Winston. Ted Dwayne. Ben Lovett. I initially discovered these talented four guys because of my deep, deep love for the Avett Brothers. Rock out on a banjo, and I'm yours (I totally would have gone for Andy Bernard's serenade). Instrumentally, they are much like their American counterparts, their songs moving rapidly from gentle ballads to foot-stomping hoedowns.
What really made me fall in love with Mumford & Sons is their way with words. Their first full-album release, entitled "Sigh No More" is chock full of lyrical gems; it is the result of deep soul searching and truth seeking. While the music is familar and accessible, the subject matter reaches upward to the existence of God, the purpose of man, and the relationship between the two. Take the title track, which submits "there is a design/an alignment to cry/at my heart, you see/the beauty of love as it was made to be." Mumford seems convinced that there is life and REAL life waiting for each of us. At the heart of this life, where the Great Designer and Man meet, is grace. "It's not the long walk home that will change this heart/but the welcome I receive at every start." (Roll Away Your Stone) Though tracks like 'Thistles and Weeds' are darker than others, as a whole the album seems to breathe hope. My favorite line in a song, maybe ever, points to "a time...with no more tears, when love will not break your heart but dismiss your fears." (After the Storm)
To listen to 'Sigh No More' is a spiritual experience, both musically and ideologically. Close your eyes and you might believe yourself in a crowded pub in London at a live show - that's how well the producers of this album have bottled Mumford's raw energy. One thing's for sure, this British ensemble won't stay across the pond for long. Mark my words -- you'll be seeing the name of Mumford in American festivals and venues in no time at all.
Buy 'Sigh No More' on iTunes.
Don't miss: Mumford & Sons - "Little Lion Man"
peace and happy ears to all-
Taylor
