Released on Feb. 20, Mumford and Sons’s newest album “Prizefighter” runs just under 50 minutes and is the culmination of the band’s sound. The album’s release — a mere 11 months after the band’s fifth studio album — is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Each of the five collaborations not only add auditory diversity to the album, but they keep the listener grounded in the relatable lyrics. When an album has multiple collaborators, the music sometimes begins to feel as if it’s losing the plot, but “Prizefighter” escapes this common trap.
The first track, “Here (with Chris Stapleton),” itself is a collaboration and serves as the perfect wade-in song to the album, setting the tone for the upbeat instrumentals that characterize the rest of the 14 songs.
This melancholy but lively music, which is reminiscent of the band’s previous work, is continued in the second song, “Rubber Band Man (with Hozier).”
Written by Brandi Carlile, the song is as haunting as it is harmonious, with lyrics and instrumentals that complement each other masterfully.
The song was released as a single in late October before the full album had been announced, and its piercing lyrics can certainly stand on their own. When Hozier’s rasp enters in the second chorus — singing “But don’t hold to yourself / With hard mortar and stone / Be a rubber band man / Make the water your bones” — the pain in Carlile’s words is amplified.
In the third track, the artists return to the banjo-heavy days of their musical careers with “The Banjo Song,” which combines their original 2010 sound with the magic of modern music technology.
But the best track, “Stay,” leans more into the band’s mastery of “blockbuster bluegrass.” The song crescendos almost immediately, evoking a visceral feeling of desire, love and heartbreak all at once. The lyrics, “The rosehips, the sunrise / The sea foam, it’s waiting for you / So, will you stay?” are sung with a clear passion for music that is both infectious and heartwarming.
“Stay” is followed by “Badlands (with Gracie Abrams),” which rounds out the sound of the album. Abrams’ whispering voice offers a luscious and refreshing feature that surprisingly compliments the band’s lower pitch.
The album’s sound exceeds in its breadth and depth, and every listen offers an exciting discovery. It is infused with a certain nostalgia and familiarity that prompts the listener to feel as though these songs have already been out for years.
Talia LeVine is a section editor covering arts and culture. They study Political Science and Visual Art with a focus on photography. In their free time, they can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee.
