New Tunes Tuesday - Mumford and Sons

The much anticipated second album from Mumford and Sons, Babel, was released in the U.S. on September 25th. And according to Billboard, it is setting records. They should have the biggest debut week of 2012.

And I can understand why.

I really, really like Mumford and Sons for a few reasons.... the emotion in their songs, their use of acoustic instruments, the ever present banjo, and Marcus Mumford's voice. It's powerful, gritty, gravely, and demands your attention.

He proclaims in Lovers' Eyes, "I feel numb / beneath your tongue / beneath the curse of these lover's eyes." On I Will Wait, "But I'll kneel down / wait for now / and I'll kneel down / know my ground." And on the closing track, Not With Haste, he sings: "And I was broke / I was on my knees / you said yes as I said please."

A standout track for me is Broken Crown. It builds up in speed and emotion. By the end, Marcus Mumford is screeching: "Crawl on my belly till the sun goes down / I'll never wear your broken crown."

The album explores many facets of a relationship with its deep and touching lyrics without any cheese. They sound honest and heartfelt. Each has its own story to tell and one blends right into the next. It is a beautifully crafted album.