The Road To Red Rocks (Live)

Sometimes hearing a baseball game on the radio is more satisfying than watching televised footage. This live album of Mumford & Sons’ 2012 performance at Colorado’s revered Red Rocks amphitheater casts a similar feel, starting from that moment before the band takes the stage. You can hear the anticipation from a population of fans, but you also can feel the energy and excitement brewing as the lads warm into “Lovers’ Eyes.” Marcus Mumford’s comforting voice sings out into the Rocky Mountain air, accompanied by a lone resonator guitar, before his bandmates’ harmonies slowly seep in. And when the instruments come crashing down to the crowd's audible delight, it’s akin to hearing the wooden crack of a grand slam from your radio speakers. The voices resonating from the band’s traditional instruments nearly upstage the gossamer singing in the following “Little Lion Man.” Winston Marshall’s spiky banjo notes sputter and sparkle with the nervous vigor of Mumford’s shaking voice. You can hear a crackling energy as the closing rendition of “The Cave” ignites the sky like a fireworks display.