“Love, it will not betray you, dismay, or enslave you/ It will set you free/ Be more like the man, you were made to be.” So exclaims Marcus Mumford on the tempestuous opening track to his band’s first record album. This full-throated and gallant rallying cry sets the temperature for what became a landmark debut. Everything that led to the Londoners’ rise to superstardom is here: joyful exuberance, sincerity, melodrama, and yes, lots of glorious banjo. It’s all animated by rich harmonies, lightning-fast picking and epic crescendos, with tracks like “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave” quickly defining the arena-folk sound the band would popularise. A truly memorable British album.
Other Versions
- 12 Songs