Much Ado About Mumford and Sons

Mumford and Sons is a British folk rock band that is taking the music world by storm. The members that make up this incredible group are Marcus Mumford, as front man, Ben Lovett, Country Winston Marshall and Ted Dwayne. Each of them bring in musical talents with the traditional vocals, guitar, and drums. But add in the sounds of banjos, mandolins, and accordions and it makes for a powerful punch to the senses.

The name  Mumford and Sons was derived from Macus Mumford being the face of the group and the desire to invoke a feeling of family. At the 2010 Grammy Awards they were nominated for Best New Rock Artist and Best Rock Song for "Little Lion Man." The momentium is only growing with stars like Adele, Jack Gyllenhal, Alex Skarsgard, and Adam Levine complimenting their work.

Mumford and Sons get a lot of lyrical inspiration from great literary works such as Shakespeare and John Steinbeck. Many times you can hear the lines being sung out, as in "Roll Away Your Stone" when the line "stars hide your fires, and these here are my desires" is sung. This line was taken from Macbeth--heavy words to use in both areas.

"Sigh No More" is an album that is full of emotions, both good and bad. The most popular track, "Little Lion Man," sums it up best when he sings "I really fucked it up this time." While some may think this a little harsh or crude, these are words that we've all felt at one time or another. Add in the building emotion of the sounds and it packs quite the punch.

Something to take notice of is how a lot of the songs seem to build in momentum as they go along. "Sigh No More" is a song of redemption, while "White Blank Page" talks of being afraid of giving all of yourself to someone. "Dust Bowl Dance" builds a song of vengance. "I Gave You All" has you growling along with the line "I gave you all and you rip it from my hands." All of these may start slow, but quickly build in tempor and sound. The listener can hear the emotion in the voices.

More melodic songs such as "Thistle and Weeds" and "After the Storm" bring the tempo down to a soothing and comforting sound. Lyrically it only gets better. "The Cave" sings of strength with the line "...I will hold on hope." The deep lyrics of "Awake My Soul" warn the audience "where you invest your love, you invest your life." Words we can all live by, I'm sure.

The album Sigh No More has sold more than 1,000,000 copies across the US and the UK. While Mumford and Sons may have to fight a little harder to get the fame they desperately deserve, it's definitely on the horizon for this powerhouse group.