Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
English folk revivalists Mumford & Sons' 2009 debut, Sigh No More, boarded the slowest train it could find on its journey from regional gem to pleasantly surprising, international success story. After simmering and stewing throughout the U.K. and Europe, the band landed boots first at the Staples Center for a rousing performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards that found the smartly dressed quartet tearing through "The Cave," and then backing, along with the equally snappy Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan on a generation-spanning rendition of "Maggie's Farm" that provided one of the better Grammy moments of the last decade or so. They may lack the lyrical prowess of "The Bard," but they know how to turn a phrase, plant a seed, and build a bridge and tear it back down again without losing the audience in the process. Simply put, they can bend the relative simplicity of traditional folk music to their collective wills, which is exactly what they do on their sophomore outing, Babel. It's also exactly what they did on their debut, and short of being a little rowdier and raspier, Babel feels less like a legitimate sequel and more like an expanded edition of the former. Working once again with producer Markus Dravs, who helmed Arcade Fire's Grammy-winning opus The Suburbs, the Mumford boys have crafted another set of incredibly spirited songs that bark much louder than they bite. Ballsy, pained, fiery, and fraught with near constant references to sin, salvation, and all of the pontifical hopes and doubts that lie between, most of Babel is caught between the confessional and an apocalyptic hootenanny, delivering its everyman message with the kind of calculated spiritual fervor that comes from having to adapt to the festival masses as opposed to the smaller club crowds. Tracks like "Hopeless Wanderer," "Broken Crown," and the vivacious title cut bristle with moxie and self-importance, but feel like a ruse, aiming for the parking lot with the kind of generic, turgid melodrama that always overshoots its mark, leaving another smoky hole in an already pockmarked landscape. It's a shame because there's some potential here, especially when the group eases back on the Me Street Band histrionics. Two albums in and Mumford & Sons still sound like a band fused to the starting block, paralyzed by the thought of having to truly race for their lives.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $16.65/month
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ross Holmes, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ross Holmes, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ross Holmes, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Williamson, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Chris Allan, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nick Etwell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nell Catchpole, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Ruadhri Cushnan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Matt Lawrence, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Markus Dravs, Producer - Ben Lovett, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Mumford, ComposerLyricist - Ted Dwane, ComposerLyricist - Winston Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Robin Baynton, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Freeman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mumford & Sons, Performer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Album review
English folk revivalists Mumford & Sons' 2009 debut, Sigh No More, boarded the slowest train it could find on its journey from regional gem to pleasantly surprising, international success story. After simmering and stewing throughout the U.K. and Europe, the band landed boots first at the Staples Center for a rousing performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards that found the smartly dressed quartet tearing through "The Cave," and then backing, along with the equally snappy Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan on a generation-spanning rendition of "Maggie's Farm" that provided one of the better Grammy moments of the last decade or so. They may lack the lyrical prowess of "The Bard," but they know how to turn a phrase, plant a seed, and build a bridge and tear it back down again without losing the audience in the process. Simply put, they can bend the relative simplicity of traditional folk music to their collective wills, which is exactly what they do on their sophomore outing, Babel. It's also exactly what they did on their debut, and short of being a little rowdier and raspier, Babel feels less like a legitimate sequel and more like an expanded edition of the former. Working once again with producer Markus Dravs, who helmed Arcade Fire's Grammy-winning opus The Suburbs, the Mumford boys have crafted another set of incredibly spirited songs that bark much louder than they bite. Ballsy, pained, fiery, and fraught with near constant references to sin, salvation, and all of the pontifical hopes and doubts that lie between, most of Babel is caught between the confessional and an apocalyptic hootenanny, delivering its everyman message with the kind of calculated spiritual fervor that comes from having to adapt to the festival masses as opposed to the smaller club crowds. Tracks like "Hopeless Wanderer," "Broken Crown," and the vivacious title cut bristle with moxie and self-importance, but feel like a ruse, aiming for the parking lot with the kind of generic, turgid melodrama that always overshoots its mark, leaving another smoky hole in an already pockmarked landscape. It's a shame because there's some potential here, especially when the group eases back on the Me Street Band histrionics. Two albums in and Mumford & Sons still sound like a band fused to the starting block, paralyzed by the thought of having to truly race for their lives.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:09
- Main artists: Mumford & Sons
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Dew Process
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2012 Mumford & Sons ℗ 2012 Mumford & Sons
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.