At a lengthy six minutes and sixteen seconds, Mumford & Sons’ title song from their fourth album has plenty of time to impress – unfortunately it does not. The band’s departure from their successful acoustic folksy sound on their third album was controversial, and it seems that even three years later, they still are yet to find their feet.
Although ‘Delta’ incorporates some of the twangy sounds from their earlier days, the song lacks the creativity and pure vim of their prior creations. The erudite metaphors and references from previous work have been replaced with clichés including “when it’s all just dust to dust”.
That said, Mumford & Sons do know how to make a catchy beat, and this song delivers a certain satisfying sound.
Marcus’ raw vocals are always a pleasure to listen to and convey intense emotion even when coupled with the blandest of lyrics. Layered audio of his children’s voices also adds a sweet personal touch – even if that’s what everyone does these days.
Image: Andrea Sartorati via Flickr