In the 2010s, stomp-clap rock ruled. The English band had not just ushered in a new wave of bluegrass Americana revivalism, they'd created a movement. Then life happened: the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, banjoist and lead guitarist and frontman Marcus Mumford released a solo album. Now a trio, Mumford & Sons are back with their fifth studio album and first in nearly seven years, 鈥淩ushmere.鈥�
It鈥檚 a familiar-feeling record 鈥� of course there are banjos 鈥� with instantly recognizable folk instrumentation reinforced by swelling vocals. In that way, it detours slightly from their last offering, 2018's 鈥淒elta,鈥� with its electronic interludes. Instead, 鈥淩ushmere鈥� directly embraces the band's folk heritage.
To create 鈥淩ushmere,鈥� Mumford & Sons enlisted producer Dave Cobb and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; Savannah, Georgia; and at Mumford's U.K. studio in Devon. It's both a return-to-home and an exercise in ambition. Opener 鈥淢alibu鈥� begins with muted percussion and acoustic guitar strums, raising the question: Is this going to be a quiet, introspective record?
Marcus Mumford鈥檚 voice comes in, then piano, then the stacked vocal harmonies, then the banjo. The song鈥檚 texture gets richer and richer, and the question answers itself. This is the foot-tapping M&S that originally fueled the band鈥檚 popularity, from their 2009 debut 鈥淪igh No More鈥� to the years that followed.
鈥淚鈥檓 still afraid/I said too much/Or not enough,鈥� Mumford sings. He sets the tone for an album that grapples with weighty issues like truth, hypocrisy and lies all while tapping into the band鈥檚 folk roots. Allusions to Christianity crop up in the album, but Mumford doesn't dwell too much on metaphor. Instead, these songs are refreshingly transparent.
Take 鈥淩ushmere,鈥� the second single off the album and its title track. The song is pure nostalgia, named after the London pond where the band hung out in their early days and imagined what their futures would look like.
鈥淒on't you miss/The breathlessness/The wildness in the eye?鈥� Mumford sings, reflecting back with the wisdom that comes with age. 鈥淐ome home late in the morning light."
But the album is not just a band attempting to reinvent the wheel. Bluesy bass and electric guitar make 鈥淭ruth鈥� the most rock 鈥榥鈥� roll song on the album, and it stands out all the more because it follows the finger-picking ballad 鈥淢onochrome.鈥�
鈥淐arry On,鈥� the record鈥檚 parting song, has perhaps the heaviest lyrics and most overt religious themes, balanced by bright guitars and gentle percussion. Mumford confronts the church doctrine of 鈥渙riginal sin鈥� with its potential for hypocrisy.
鈥淚 will take this darkness/Over any light you cast/You and all your original sin," he sings. 鈥淐arry on/'Cause there鈥檚 no evil in a child鈥檚 eyes.鈥�
Across 10 tracks, 鈥淩ushmere鈥� feels short but full, a satisfying contrast and a welcomed return for fans of the band 鈥� and anyone open to their folky existentialism.
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Mike Catalini, The Associated Press
