Mumford & Sons - Words and Music - 2012

Those who caught on early to Mumford & Sons' debut album have had a long wait for their second release. The foursome spent the time in between travelling the world playing to increasing crowds as their popularity bloomed.

The live Mumford show has been ever-evolving from the start, placing old and new originals from Sigh No More and (the eventual) Babel alongside a few lovingly performed covers and tunes that have yet to appear on an album. That variety and their infectious energy has earned them a devotional fan base, well displayed in The Big Easy Express railroad tour documentary. As in that film, the biggest perk of their success has been the joy of performing with friends and heroes on stages big and small.

 

Mumford & Sons took their time to get it right on Babel (they say 'Bay-bull'), fleshing out their lyrically rich, melodic tunes with lively arrangements. The band's return visit to WFUV featured a madcap interview full of humor and humility, which revealed unexpected background on their songwriting (more collaborative than you'd think) and the deep relationship they've built with their fans.

 

The rakish, reluctant posterboys for New Acoustic Music never sought out that kind of attention, but you can't deny the impact they've had, paving the road for rocking banjo players and proving that sweat trumps volume when it comes to putting your heart into what you do.

 

A highlight of their FUV visit was the 4-part harmony and driving rhythm of "Whispers in the Dark," here on video, along with 2 other in-studio performances.

[recorded: 07/31/12]

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