Such was the case with Mumford and Sons on August 28th as
they hit the stage for their first of two nights at Red Rocks. Natives to
Colorado who frequent Red Rocks concerts are used to artists expressing
gratitude just being able to play at such a legendary venue, and Marcus Mumford
and company were no exceptions. While simply playing a show at Red Rocks is
humbling to most, for Mumford and Sons it was also added pressure as both
nights were filmed for inclusion in a documentary/concert film documenting
their journey to this acoustic landmark. In fact, the projection screen on the
right side of the stage showed some of the best footage you have ever seen at a
concert, giving a good indication of the quality of what is to come with their
film.
Besides putting on a lively, well-paced show, Mumford and
Sons also previewed music from their just-released sophomore release Babel. Footage from the August 28th
performance of their new single “I Will Wait” was released as the official
video less than two weeks later (see above video). In fact, the Mumford boys
played about half of Babel at Red
Rocks almost a month prior to the album’s release, and yet the new songs fit
right in with the familiar tracks that the crowd knew very well.
For me, the familiarity of new songs to a listener who has
never heard them can be a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes from an
instantaneous acceptance of the new material, but the curse comes in casual
listeners not necessarily being able to discern one song from another. However,
when listening to Babel, it is a
small complaint for an otherwise stellar album.
When “I Will Wait” was released, many fans felt that the
Mumfords were lightening up a bit, but the main themes of dealing with the
struggles of life both in outward and inward interactions are still intact. While
“I Will Wait” sounds like an upbeat song, the theme of asking forgiveness for
some transgression and waiting for that forgiveness is not exactly uplifting. In fact, asking for forgiveness appears
a few times on Babel, most notably on
highlight “Lover of the Light,” where Marcus states “I have done wrong, so
build your tower,” and “Ghosts That We Knew,” with its shameful “and close my
eyes from my recent disgrace.”
If you want to pay a few more dollars and pick up the Deluxe
Edition of Babel, you will be
rewarded with what I believe is the best cover version of Simon and Garfunkel’s
“The Boxer” that I’ve ever heard. With original singer Paul Simon on the track
and renowned steel guitarist Jerry Douglas providing a haunting accompaniment, Marcus
Mumford proves he is just as adept at singing a straight-ahead story as he is
in a song shrouded in metaphors. The world-weariness of Mumford’s vocals adds a
grittiness to the boxer’s tale, making this remake a great companion to the
shiny delivery of Simon and Garfunkel’s original.
Mumford and Sons have picked right up where they left off
with debut disc Sigh No More and now
have a rabid fan following that will embrace Babel and sing along with every track. From
the rollicking title cut to the touching closer “Not with Haste,” both existing
fans and newcomers will find something to embrace and love.
While his full-time job is in education, John Hill also writes a successful music blog titled Pop Music Notes. He is also active on Twitter @popmusicnotes and lives in Denver with his partners in crime James and Bruiser.