Full sound of Sons defies description

It's been quite the ride for this West London quartet. Forming just two and a half years ago, Mumford & Sons are getting worldwide attention with their folk/bluegrass/alternative musical concoction, and they truly deserve it. For a band that  has been making music together for such a short period of time, their chemistry is very impressive when you listen to their debut album, "Sigh No More."
Upon first listen, I immediately flagged them as a bluegrass band, but then I listened some more and started to lean toward a folk band. After a couple more listens, I gave up on the flagging and just enjoyed it. The music is so full. There is a lot of bass, which is usually pretty rare in a bluegrass or folk album. The album creates this energy that reminds you of Dave Matthews Band's "Before These Crowded Streets." Any Dave fan will thoroughly enjoy this album in its entirety.
The first track, "Sigh No More," starts off simple. The song starts with a very well-recorded acoustic guitar. The band joins in unison singing the first verse, sounding like Blue October if Blue October was still good and did bluegrass music. But the song picks up gradually and quickly all instruments come in, and it sounds overwhelming but without going too far.
Track 2, "The Cave," definitely has the potential of being a single. Driven by the banjo and a steady bass drum, the song is about finding your purpose in life. The album continues with "Winter Winds," another potential single. By the second chorus, you're singing along, a true measure of a good single. The addition of horns on this song is a wonderful touch, and it is one of my favorite tracks on the album. "Roll Away Your Stone" once again starts with a well-recorded acoustic guitar, but the pace picks up much faster than in the title track. The song is a great driving song with a very fun beat in between verses and during the chorus: "Darkness is a harsh term don't you think/And yet it dominates the things I see." Sounds negative, but it's quite the beautiful song.
"White Blank Page" has the most Dave Matthews Band feel to it on the album, but once again, it's a darker Dave, like "Crowded Streets" or even his solo album had. Though it's a great song, I find it to be more of a filler song, and the same goes for the next track, "I Gave You All," but every album has them. It still sounds great though, like every track on here; I was really impressed with the recording of the album. There was no dominant instrument, when there very well could have been. The banjo, the mandolin, the multiple acoustic guitars, the bass, any one of them could have taken over a song, but they refrained and just filled each track so well with the mix.
Track seven comes around and you finally get to hear the first single, "Little Lion Man," a perfect choice for the first single. The song has a little bit of everything from the album. It's up-tempo and has a sing-a-long chorus and a driving beat with the banjo and bass drum. A true highlight of an album that is already full of highlights.
"Timshel" has a Bon Iver-type of beginning, airy vocals with an acoustic guitar. It is the most basic song. A couple instruments come in at the end, but it's primarily just vocals and a guitar. Another filler song, but still worth a listen, and it works well going into "Thistle & Weeds," where the piano is the primary instrument. You haven't heard much piano take a big role in a song until this track, and it works well with their music. The horns also make another appearance. Overall, the song is a little more down-tempo. Not a filler song, but not a single, in my opinion, and the same applies to the next song, "Awake My Soul."
The album ends with "Dust Bowl Dance" and "After The Storm." Both are excellent songs that carry on the pattern of songs starting slow and gradually building up to a very full-sounding ending.
While the album does trail off after "Little Lion Man," it is one of my favorite albums this year. Highly recommended for fans of Dave Matthews Band, The Avett Brothers and Fleet Foxes. It is definitely worth checking out.
aaronvlasnik
@dailynebraskan.com