The Magical Marcus Mumford

If you are not familiar with Mumford & Sons then today is your day to get acquainted. Open up another window on your computer and go to YouTube. Watch the videos for "Little Lion Man, Roll Away Your Stone, and White Blank Page" to get a good start. I suggest the videos from the Bookshop Sessions, so you can actually see them play. Because with Mumford & Sons, a lot of the appeal is watching them. They are hands down the most passionate musicians I've ever seen cross into mainstream. And I'm thrilled they made it!

This band.

In the Fall of 2010 I came across the band for the first time. I immediately knew I had to have their album, Sigh No More. It was probably the only thing I listened to from November 2010-February 2011. I couldn't get enough. And my favorite song changed each time I listened, and still does today! It started out "Roll Away Your Stone". Today it's "White Blank Page". Last week, Mumford & Sons dropped the album, Babel. I bought last Thursday before I left town for a holiday....I couldn't imagine getting on the train for a few hours without having it to enjoy. I put it on a loop from the time I left Hangzhou to the time I arrived in Nanjing. You guys, it's just as good as the first one! "Babel, I Will Wait, Lover of the Light, and Hopeless Wanderer" are my favorites so far, though there's also a great version of The Boxer on the album.

I can't explain what the music does to me, how it makes me feel. I should warn you, I'm about to geek out. I love the sound of a guitar. More than any other instrument. Add a banjo and a mandolin and it might seem like it's gonna get too country up in the joint, but it's so far from that! Acoustic rock, is where I think this ultimately lands. But I don't care what you call it, what it's labeled. All I know is that there is this intensity, this passion that pours through the instruments. They are never whiny, and they are so in sync with their harmonies and rhythms. It pretty much encompasses everything I love about music all at once.

This man.

Of course for me, music has to have good words too. Remember when Lifehouse had that "you and me and all of the people" song...it's like I loved the sound of it, but the lyrics were so damn stupid that I couldn't bring myself to sing it or even listen. But Mumford & Sons doesn't waste time with shallow words. Their lyrics are as passionate as their music. On both albums they tackle topics of grace, sin, redemption, loss, love, false prophets, religion, free will, shame and regret. It's soul deep. They are authentic where most people would come across as pretentious or cynical tackling these topics. The intensity of their words match the intensity of the music and it's so completely perfect.

And don't even get me started on Marcus Mumford's voice. I know I've flip flopped on Carey Mulligan a few times, but I recently found out she's married to Marcus Mumford and I gotta tell you, I hate her for it. Maybe I'll like her again when Gatsby comes out. Until then, she's back on my bad side. Cause that's how I roll...

But back to the music...this is seriously my favorite band right now. If you haven't heard of them or heard them, life is too short to wait. Look them up today, buy Sigh No More and Babel, and just let the music reach you like nothing else has in a while.

What do you think of Mumford & Sons?