{"id":13584,"date":"2012-11-14T09:46:26","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T17:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=13584"},"modified":"2012-11-14T09:46:26","modified_gmt":"2012-11-14T17:46:26","slug":"watch-mumford-sons-on-letterman-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2012-11\/watch-mumford-sons-on-letterman-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Mumford & Sons on Letterman Show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like many, we enjoyed Mumford & Sons<\/strong> first album Sigh No More<\/strong>, and particularly when that album’s songs were performed live. With the band speed-strumming and flailing around the the stage, audiences around the world were drawn to their shows like flocks to old-time tent revivals.\u00a0 And miracles could ensue.\u00a0 But at the same time, many wondered if that magic would be sustainable.<\/p>\n

After a hiatus, the band has now put out their second album, Babel<\/strong>.\u00a0 And somewhat surprisingly, Babel <\/strong>has been a “towering success” and\u00a0 is the year’s best-selling rock album.\u00a0 In less than two months, more copies (over one million) of Babel have been purchased in the US than Justin Bieber’s <\/strong>Believe<\/strong> <\/em>and all others, and is second only to Taylor Swift’s Red<\/strong> album<\/em>.\u00a0 <\/em>You have to give credit to the Mumfords and their non-stop touring, boundless energy and aspiration, and ultimately managing to infiltrate the hearts and minds of a broad range of youths and young-adults, and their parents.<\/p>\n

Time will tell if the Mumfords will be able to maintain their momentum.\u00a0 We at Lefort don’t see much progression musically in the new album, and fear the band may have shot all the arrows in its musical quiver.\u00a0 Already critics are sounding the death-knell, and even for those that approve of Babel, there is the constant refrain:\u00a0 “musically a virtual repeat of their first album.”\u00a0 For some that’s great.\u00a0 For others it’s the end (without more variety and invention, we will fall into this camp).<\/p>\n

Some of the negative reviews are humorously vicious:\u00a0 “With every crescendo of catgut and steel, their lack of nuance becomes wearing.” (The Observer<\/strong>); “For those who never liked That Guy Who Plays Acoustic Guitar At The Party, Babel’s gonna sound like the dentist’s drill. For others, this still may be the point at which you put down your makeshift tambourine, get up from the half-circle and find a better room in the party house.” (Prefix<\/strong>); and, our favorite, “Effectively, it is emo for blacksmiths<\/strong>.” (The Fly<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Regardless, we’ll defer our final judgment to another day.\u00a0 In the interim, check out the band below last night on the Letterman Show<\/strong> performing the first single off the album, I Will Wait<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 The best part of the song, the repentant lyrics, follow.\u00a0 And at bottom is the band’s Red-Rock-ing<\/strong> of the same song.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=26maHIFoHRQ&feature=em-uploademail<\/p>\n

“And I came home
\nLike a stone
\nAnd I fell heavy into your arms
\nThese days of darkness
\nWhich we’ve known
\nWill blow away with this new sun<\/p>\n

And I’ll kneel down
\nWait for now
\nAnd I’ll kneel down
\nKnow my ground<\/p>\n

And I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you<\/p>\n

So break my step
\nAnd relent
\nYou forgave and I won’t forget
\nKnow what we’ve seen
\nAnd him with less
\nNow in some way
\nShake the excess<\/p>\n

But I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you<\/p>\n

So I’ll be bold
\nAs well as strong
\nAnd use my head alongside my heart
\nSo tame my flesh
\nAnd fix my eyes
\nThat tethered mind free from the lies<\/p>\n

But I’ll kneel down
\nWait for now
\nI’ll kneel down
\nKnow my ground<\/p>\n

Raise my hands
\nPaint my spirit gold
\nAnd bow my head
\nKeep my heart slow<\/p>\n

Cause I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you
\nAnd I will wait, I will wait for you”<\/p>\n