Mumford and Sons

Overview

Earlier this year, a little-known band named Mumford and Sons joined Nirvana, Offspring, Joy Division and Kings of Leon in a hall of fame that declared their debut single 'Little Lion Man' one of the hottest tunes of all time, according to Triple J listeners. It seems that while the ridiculously talented Laura Marling and 'nu-folk' band Noah and the Whale were steadily reviving the folk music scene over the past couple of years, Mumford and Sons were hiding out in south-west London concocting the debut album that would win them an instant appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

So how did a Christian folk band who sound as if they’ve named themselves after their local funeral parlour achieve such instant mainstream success? Maybe it’s the masterful, melancholic voice of Marcus Mumford, combined with the rolling, cacophonous jumble of banjo, guitar, drums, dobro, organ, keyboard and double bass. Maybe it’s those rich, other-worldly lyrics — or possibly it’s the boys’ religious enthusiasm releasing listeners from the shackles of mind-numbing mainstream radio into a land that time long forgot, a land where we can kick off our shoes, link arms and do-si-do.

Live, Mumford and Sons radiate enthusiasm similar to a Dawson’s Creek episode — in that passionate, complex, beyond-their-years, geeky kind of way. Considering they are only in their early 20s, their debut album Sigh No More is strikingly rich, thoughtful and powerful, cultivated by the kind of passion used to run an old-fashioned, much-cherished family business.
They return to Sydney for the second time in six months to play at the Enmore on August 3, with tickets on sale from Thursday, April 8 at 9am.