Mumford & Sons- Prizefighter
Label: Island
Producers: Mumford & Sons, Aaron Dessner
The sixth studio album from Mumford & Sons arrives just nine months after its predecessor, Rushmere. It’s a shockingly quick turn-time for the band, given that their previous gap between albums stretched nearly seven years. In press rounds prior to the release, lead singer Marcus Mumford attributes this productivity to a renewed sense of creativity and passion within the band’s nearly twenty-year run. That may sound like the typical, manufactured buzz that surrounds most any record release, but in the case of Prizefighter, it feels like one of those rare instances where the music matches the propaganda. This album features some of the group’s most primal and inspired songwriting in well over a decade, as well as some of Mumford’s most impassioned vocal takes to date, which is saying something. In many ways, this record feels like their most in-tune with their first, 2009’s classic Sigh No More, not simply in pure musical terms, but in terms of its fresh rejuvenation. It feels like we’re exploring authentically new ground with this band once again.
It’s certainly their most collaborative effort to date. After turning to Americana scientist Dave Cobb for the return-to-roots mindset of Rushmere, The National’s Aaron Dessner joins the group in the production realm on Prizefighter. Together they excavate an elevated sonic blend for the band that strikes a stunning balance between their acoustic framework and the moody, alt touchstones that Dessner is known for, both with his own band and on productions with the likes of Taylor Swift, Florence & the Machine, Brandi Carlile, and many others. It’s not a complete stylistic reinvention like 2015’s Wilder Mind, thankfully nor is it the uneven scattershot sound of 2018’s Delta. It’s the long-awaited, perfect middle-ground between the rustic origins they’ve never wanted to outright abandon, but also the wide-eyed evolution they’ve always clearly thirsted for as well.
In the songwriting credits, we see appearances from a wide scope of collaborators, including Dessner, Carlile, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Finneas, Jon Bellion, and indie-artist Kevin Garrett, known for his contributions to Beyonce’s seminal Lemonade album. Vocally, we’re graced with guest appearances from the likes of Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, and Gigi Perez. The tracks with Stapleton (“Here”) and Hozier (lead single “Rubber Band Man”) launch the set in strong, bold fashion and set the stage for an expansive collection of inspiring, vintage Mumford songs and performances. All of the varied voices within this collective add their own nuanced perspectives and artistic POVs to the band’s trademark brand of emotionally cascading reflections on the human experience. Again, it brings a sense of renewed vigor to the group’s recording output, returning it to their prime-era levels of significance, something that was simply missing within the meandering and cozy atmospheres of Delta and Rushmere respectively. Moments like the aforementioned opening twofer, as well as “Run Together”, “Conversations with My Son (Gangsters & Angels)”, “Alleycat”, “Shadow of a Man”, and “Clover” immediately stand out as new favorites, worthy of residing against the band’s biggest landmark songs.
As a die-hard Mumford fan from the start, it’s personally rewarding to see the band transition from seemingly forever-dormant to as creatively charged as ever within the span of eleven short months. Last year, Rushmere was exactly what the band needed after such a long slumber: a full-circle album that recentered them back to their roots. It brought closure to a long-ignored chapter, and truth-be-told, there was speculation on my part that it may be their career finale. Thankfully, I would have been wrong in that assessment, with Prizefighter triumphantly announcing a creative rejuvenation, the start to a brand new artistic chapter, and seemingly & hopefully a reenergizing reset for a long, productive future ahead for Mumford & Sons.
Track Listing:
- “Here” featuring Chris Stapleton (Mumford & Sons, Aaron Dessner)
- “Rubber Band Man” featuring Hozier (Mumford & Sons, Dessner, Brandi Carlile)
- “The Banjo Song” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner, Jon Bellion)
- “Run Together” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner, Finneas)
- “Conversation with My Son (Gangsters & Angels)” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Alleycat” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Prizefighter” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner, Justin Vernon)
- “Begin Again” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Icarus” with Gigi Perez (Mumford & Sons, Dessner, Kevin Garrett)
- “Stay” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Badlands” featuring Gracie Abrams (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Shadow of a Man” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “I’ll Tell You Everything” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
- “Clover” (Mumford & Sons, Dessner)
The 706 
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