Mumford and Sons played the sold out Bowery Ballroom with Freelance Whales last Thursday. If Mumford is coming anywhere near you in the next few months, buy early. The $12 tickets were going for over $100 day of the show.
If you haven’t heard of Mumford and Sons by now, you should get yourself in gear. The London-based foursome might be this year’s best new act (despite making serious moves last year). Their album, Sigh No More, just came out in the states, and I fully endorse a swift purchase/listen. Their music is difficult to classify; it’s like an apocalyptic hoe-down. Led by Marcus Mumford (vocals/guitar/drums), the band harmonizes the foreboding and introspective lyrics to irresistibly danceable jigs.
Their magnum opus to date is “Little Lion Man,” which irreverently screams “it was not your fault but mine/it was your heart on the line/I really fucked it up this time/Didn’t I my dear?” Giving decidedly religious lyrics, an ironic breath of a good old-fashioned expletive. In many ways, it’s the irony that makes Mumford stick out. It’s unusual to hear the banjo in modern rock without the band trying too hard to be “indie” (see Freelance Whales). It’s also unusual to put deep, self-reflective lyrics to backwoods, bluegrass jigs. Although, despite the terrain being somewhat foreign, the product is beautiful. Each member contributes equally to the sound, interweaving quiet moments with bellowing harmonies.
At one point between songs, Mumford noted, “this all seems so serious.” Take it as it lies, it is serious. I felt caught between wanting to clap along, and thinking about my own failures. But it is not a sense of awkwardness I was left with, but a reassurance that it is possible to make good music with a message. Whether that message resembles a Cormac McCarthy novel, makes no difference.
The opening act, Freelance Whales, are New York locals making a name for themselves as well. They will be releasing their upcoming record in March, so stay tuned.
A few caveats: There is a trend in music these days, to have a band with some novelty (an accordion player, lots of people on stage, two drummers, etc.). Freelance Whales, while quirkily breaking the mold of what a band looks like, gets close to going overboard.
Featuring a banjo, mandolin, and some strange accordion might work if it adds something to the music, but when playing it gets lost in the confusion, the novelty loses its charm. All the cutesy instruments seem to say, hey, look, we play cutesy instruments. They also switch instruments every song, which, while a great way to show off, conveys a disastrous flow to the set. Lastly, giving everyone in the band a microphone can be deadly. It’s a live-or-die maneuver and should be done with caution.
That said, Freelance Whales showed some promise. They have a quaint, indie-pop sound, and are trying some positive things. Despite a busy set, the young band cares about their craft. People are talking about the Freelance Whales. And where people are talking, some people are inevitably listening.
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This post was also published on LP33.tv, you can see it in it’s official glory here.
Imagine the Pickin’ on Series putting Cormac McCarthy novels to bluegrass tunes…
