Live
< Mumford & Sons at George IV, London
words by Chris Watkeys on 07.09.08
‘Folk rock with an adrenalin rush’ may seem like a contradiction in terms, but it’s just what Mumford & Sons are capable of. At barely nine months old, this band is still in its infancy, but tonight their cohesion and sheer musical presence is remarkable.
There’s almost a mini-riot of people trying to get in to this show, and inside it’s easy to hear why. These boys produce music brimming with the drama and euphoric grandeur of the Arcade Fire, folked-up to the beard-line and often played at breakneck speed. Frontman Marcus Mumford sways, sweaty and ragged, his blistered vocals both powerful and vulnerable, like Springsteen minus the macho posturing.
Standout song ‘White Blank Page’ is shimmering and peerlessly magnificent, building to a climax like the breaking of a storm, while the single ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ degenerates into a raucous, foot-stomping hoe-down. Folk rock has never been this exciting.
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