Mumford & Sons’ new album, Prizefighter, hearkens back to the indie-folk scene in which they found their niche; it also serves as a reminder of why they dominated that era. Even so, at times it feels like a somewhat clumsy attempt at reasserting their prowess in a time of burgeoning new voices. The revival of the folk scene, most notable in the rise of Noah Kahan, feels like a conspicuous place for this album to manifest. It’s hard not to wonder whether Prizefighter is playing catch-up to the new age rather than defining it.
The album’s collaborators embody this attempt to capture the contemporary audience. ‘Rubber Band Man’ features Hozier, while the opener ‘Here’ enlists Chris Stapleton. ‘Badlands’ features Gracie Abrams, and ‘Icarus’ brings in Gigi Perez. The tracklist reads like a Spotify compilation of folk royalty. The pointedness of these additions doesn’t detract from their impact, however; they give the record a genuine lift. At certain points, (as with Gigi Perez’s performance) they risk sidelining Mumford & Sons during a home game.
The title track, co-written by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, truly lives up to the bruised lyric/swelling chorus combination which became a trademark of the band’s style. Vernon’s influence is palpable, keeping the arrangement hushed and controlled before letting forth an emotional torrent. The line “Is it my heart that’s still broke?” lands with harsh clarity, making ‘Prizefighter’ the album’s shining moment. The album’s mood ranges from ecstatic to confessional, resulting in a raw listening experience. The production marks significant evolution from earlier albums, which depended on explosive choruses. Prizefighter favours restraint; its quiet moments feel contemplative rather than cautious.
Even when Prizefighter feels like an attempt to establish relevance in the current genre revival, it delivers songs with earnestness and weight. Mumford & Sons can still land a punch when it counts.
“Mumford And Sons in Camden, NJ” by Stephen Eckert is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
