Following up a record like Sigh No More would be a difficult task for any group and certainly Mumford & Sons knew this. Do you play it safe and stick with what made you popular or do you shake things up and risk losing the tide of support you've gained? That's never an easy question to answer and every artist must make that decision for themselves. In the case of Babel the answer is simple: don't stray too far from the formula but find a way to keep it interesting. The payoff is, for the most part, satisfying.

The record bursts out of the gate with great strength. The album's title track is forceful and engaging, followed by the catchy "Whispers in the Dark" and the popular hit "I Will Wait". "Holland Road" continues in the same fashion, giving us the trademark melodies and poetic lyrics we've come to expect from the group. Everything that made their first release so surprising is still here, even if it doesn't sound quite as fresh as it did the first time around. It's hard to fault the band for continuing their unique sound, yet it does feel a bit less exciting, mainly with the middle half of the record. Songs like "Lovers' Eyes", "Ghosts That We Knew", and "Reminder" are not in and of themselves bad songs. Rather, they simply cause the middle part of the album to drag in too many ballads. A slightly different running order would have helped the pacing a bit more. The ending run of "Broken Crown", "Below My Feet", and "Not With Haste" end the album with a bang and they bring the record to a wonderful conclusion.

Babel is a solid effort and its many accolades are well-earned. I find the tracks in the middle to be a bit too slow in the running order, though they are enjoyable when taken individually. M&S have a winning formula but it's also one that will eventually need to expand and grow in order to keep them from sounding too routine. This group is talented and I look forward to seeing where they carry themselves from here. I have faith that they can do it.
Following up a record like Sigh No More would be a difficult task for any group and certainly Mumford & Sons knew this. Do you play it safe and stick with what made you popular or do you shake things up and risk losing the tide of support you've gained? That's never an easy question to answer and every artist must make that decision for themselves. In the case of Babel the answer is simple: don't stray too far from the formula but find a way to keep it interesting. The payoff is, for the most part, satisfying. The record bursts out of the gate with great strength. The album's title track is forceful and engaging, followed by the catchy "Whispers in the Dark" and the popular hit "I Will Wait". "Holland Road" continues in the same fashion, giving us the trademark melodies and poetic lyrics we've come to expect from the group. Everything that made their first release so surprising is still here, even if it doesn't sound quite as fresh as it did the first time around. It's hard to fault the band for continuing their unique sound, yet it does feel a bit less exciting, mainly with the middle half of the record. Songs like "Lovers' Eyes", "Ghosts That We Knew", and "Reminder" are not in and of themselves bad songs. Rather, they simply cause the middle part of the album to drag in too many ballads. A slightly different running order would have helped the pacing a bit more. The ending run of "Broken Crown", "Below My Feet", and "Not With Haste" end the album with a bang and they bring the record to a wonderful conclusion. Babel is a solid effort and its many accolades are well-earned. I find the tracks in the middle to be a bit too slow in the running order, though they are enjoyable when taken individually. M&S have a winning formula but it's also one that will eventually need to expand and grow in order to keep them from sounding too routine. This group is talented and I look forward to seeing where they carry themselves from here. I have faith that they can do it.