Mumford & Sons: ‘Love Your Ground’

Nu-folk can be a tricky genre to understand. Few have enjoyed huge success with it, the biggest newcomer to the genre this year being (arguably) Johnny Flynn. On tour in the US with the esteemed Mr Flynn in September were Mumford & Sons, and you can assume from the sounds of this new EP that they did a pretty good job.

Opener ‘Little Lion Man’, with its dynamic, apocalyptic acoustic strums, certainly sets the standard for the following tracks. Its catchy chorus, coupled with sheer driving force and Marcus Mumford’s rasping vocal lines, is surely one of the best bluegrass refrains of recent times. ‘Feel The Tide’ is another bustling folk number with busy banjo parts decorating the soundscape, whilst a Hammond organ wails in the background.

Don’t think it’s all fast-paced straightforwardness though. ‘Hold On To What You Believe’ lulls the listener into a false sense of security with its gentle brushed drum lines and soft guitar strums, before pounding toms and relentless organ drones beat all that sense of tenderness out of you. ‘The Banjolin Song’, on the other hand, is a wonderful example of folk harmonies at their best, in a rather hootenanny-esque fashion.

Released on 3rd November 2008 by Chess Club.

Written by Matt Blackwell.