It’s been seven years since the U.K.-based folk-rock band Mumford and Sons released an album, and boy, did they not disappoint.
Many changes have occurred: the band became a trio, and Marcus Mumford released a solo album in 2022. However, “Rushmere,” their newest album, feels like a touch back into their roots of “Sigh No More” and “Babel,” contrary to their most recent album, “Delta.”
“Rushmere” includes all the aspects that made people fall in love with the band in the first place — a banjo, compelling lyrics and that “tap your foot in a pub” vibe.
Ladies and gentlemen, grab your friends and find a field to frolic in — it’s time to rethink every choice you have made in your life with these lyrics.
The album starts with “Malibu,” a riveting upbeat song with lyrics mentioning doubt and weakness, “In all my doubt/In all my weakness/Can you lead?”
The song resembles everything I love about this band, especially with the acoustic picking of the guitar. They create this beat that makes you want to dance in a dimly lit room with your best friends while simultaneously confronting all your doubts and fears with the lyrics.
This is often what we do in real life, so it is fitting when artists can translate those contradictory feelings into music. As humans, we constantly want to find the good within the bad or distract ourselves, so we create these upbeat moments to keep us going.
“Caroline” and “Rushmere” continue this vibe, making me feel like I should be in a British pub dancing with my friends. “Caroline” keeps a steady beat from the drum, but “Rushmere” unleashes the infamous Mumford and Sons banjo.
“Rushmere” is the name of the pub the band first met in, so it is only fitting that the song touches on growing up and appreciating life in all the different ways you experience it.
The fourth song on the track, “Monochrome,” slows the album down, and most of the album follows suit. The slow, melodic playing of the guitar and piano encapsulates the feeling of a warm hug on a bad day. The lyrics provide the comfort of letting go of a relationship with mixed emotions, one that many people can relate to.
“Truth” breaks the more mellow vibe of the album with rock and blues undertones. I can visualize this song playing in a movie as a strong and independent female main character drives with the windows down — wearing all black and fierce sunglasses — to confront the person who did her wrong.
Fire, anger and vengeance fuel this song with lyrics including, “You cannot complain if you don’t throw a dice yourself.” This song belongs on a running playlist because it gets the people going.
The last five tracks on the album all take on a more mellow vibe, as mentioned above.
“Where It Belongs” poses a series of unanswered questions. It grapples with missing a person that you were once close with but was lost through some hateful words and actions. The slow pace of the guitar and carefully selected piano notes add to the pain that comes with the lyrics.
The seventh song on the track, “Anchor,” discusses the need not to be tied down to people’s expectations in fear of disappointing or failing them. “Surrender” describes the feelings of giving up, and as a subtle drum beat picks up, it foreshadows a more assertive guitar sound to ramp up and emphasize the sense of each chorus.
“Blood on the Page,” featuring Madison Cunningham, creates lyrics with possible dual meanings, forcing the listeners to question the meaning of each line. “Stay right where you lay/Right where we left off/Still, we can be still/Even in chaos/I will not lie/I will not lie…But wait/There’s blood on the page,” highlights this dual meaning. Does “I will not lie” refer to lying through words or just lying down in response to “Still, we can be still.” The complexity behind these lyrics is phenomenal, forcing listeners to unpack the possible meanings.
Finally, “Carry On” closes this thought-provoking album. The song acknowledges the irony of someone preaching good but being filled with hypocrisy. It emphasizes the importance of continuing to carry on even if it feels as if the cards are stacked against you.
Even though this album sounds very reminiscent of their earlier albums, I loved it. People love Mumford and Sons because of their ability to create thought-provoking and foot-tapping music, and that is precisely what this album did.
“Rushmere” by Mumford and Sons can be streamed on major streaming services, including Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
This article was written by MaryKate Stepchuk. She can be reached at marykate.stepchuk@marquette.edu.
