The new Mumford & Sons album “Wilder Mind” isn’t bad. It’s not good but, it’s not bad. At best, it’s boring. You can certainly hear what the band wanted this album to be; proof that they don’t need to rely on the folk craze they rode in on, an attempt at cutting their teeth on the indie rock scene. Unfortunately for Mumford and his sons, this is where they faltered. As it turns out, with the shedding of their familiar sound, they also abandoned what carried them to the top of the modern rock charts in the first place; quick paced verses that gradually build into an explosive, hook laden chorus, destined to be sung at the top of your lungs.
Not all is lost here though. The album has a few standout tracks. “Ditmas” is really the closest thing resembling the Mumford & Sons of old, with pulsing verses that drive themselves tactfully into a chorus you’re ready to sing by the second time it comes around. “The Wolf” shows the band getting the best grasp on what this album seemed to be pursuing, an electric thumper with riffs that challenge the vocals for title of catchiest aspect of the song. And “Monster” is a nice slow burn in the middle of the album, that ends with some beautiful vocal harmonies.
Overall, this album could win over people who didn’t really like what Mumford and Sons have been selling for the past five years or so. But with it’s often slower pace, and the disappearance of the incredibly catchy choruses they used to churn out, this album seems unlikely to dominate the airwaves like the two before it. Not to mention it will likely alienate a lot of fans who were either hoping for more of the same, or that something much wilder in mind(get it? Like the album title?) Ultimately Mumford and Sons played it a little too safe in their risk-taking, producing an okay album that will likely be lightly pulled from in their live shows years down the road.
