7 Thursday, May 7, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com ARTS New Mumford & Sons album garners mixed reactions By AMELIA ZAK Daily Music Editor Life holds no constants. Sur- rounded by an ever-changing host of situations, people, weather and numerous other circum- stances, we float in a sea of vari- ables. Frost’s frequently cited line, “nothing gold can stay,” reflects the feel- ing best: we can- not control the transience. So, amid the shape- shifting and unidentifiable mark- ers of incoming situational traffic, we all must grow and change in order to survive — and then hope- fully thrive. But does this ines- capable condition of the human experience apply to the music industry? Must artists change their sound, technique or style in order to survive — and then hope- fully thrive? Recalling Bob Dylan’s assimi- lation of the electric guitar in the late 1960s and ’70s, a troubadour deity was transformed into an electric-guitar-wheeling warlord to the disappointment, anger, excitement or appreciation of many. Why did Dylan make this change? Perhaps he felt it neces- sary to continue his production of inspired, original work. Or maybe Dylan couldn’t deny the attraction he held toward a sound antitheti- cal to his acoustic guitar and har- monica-centered arrangements. Mumford & Sons made a simi- lar and equally public transition that was granted with equal lev- els of applause and criticism. The folk fans have rejected Wilder Mind as a sellout disappointment, while less invested audiences have greeted the album with ambiva- lence. The reaction of the less invested audience defines the album best: Although produced fantastically and flowing seam- lessly, the album allows the audi- ence to be relatively indifferent. Through either the language or melodies, each track on Wilder Mind is easily digested upon ini- tial consumption. To the soft and hard hearts, the cynics and the lovers, the casual listener and the auditorium audience, Mumford & Sons has always created, at the very least, universally approach- able pop music. But unless drawn in by the emotional, poetic lyrics of heartache and loss, the Wilder Mind listener is asked to accept the same crescendo, the same electric guitar solo, the same Mar- cus Mumford melodic scream. When asked for the source of the album’s genre departure, the men of Mumford & Sons cited a change of location, altered per- sonal relationships, and greater access to a myriad of instruments in the studio (rather than the limited instrumental resources of a tour bus). Guided by the pro- duction styles of James Ford and Aaron Dessner, and recorded completely in New York City, Wilder Mind emerged draped in Strokes-like guitar solos, with a touch more angst, leather jackets and skinny jeans. Even amid these structural aesthetic changes, the musical talent of these Brits isn’t lost. The music is still exciting at times: Jam-packed with electric build-ups and subsequent cre- scendos, trendy bass fills, random incorporations of a string section and jarring lyrics of a lost love, many of the songs recreate the physiological effects of a quick- ly-drank Red Bull. The album’s literature, in fact, appears to be dedicated to the dramatic, almost heart-wrenching grappling of a found, won and then ultimately lost love. But these sonic and lyri- cal trends of Wilder Mind lack moderation. Each track seems to follow a formula: contextual build-up, chorus, more build- up, a crescendo and satisfying denouement. “Tompkins Square Park,” “Believe,” and “The Wolf,” the album’s entry tracks, follow this blueprint excessively. While these high tempos and enthu- siastic escalations are sure to be greeted with accolades and appreciation at the year’s audi- toriums and music festivals, analytical listeners and folk fans suffer. Some respite is granted in the album’s last tracks: the slower “Ditmas,” “Only Love” and “Hot Arms” highlight a more delicate sound that was once intrinsic to the Mumford impression. Gone are the days of the banjo swings and acoustic guitar ballads for the folkiers. Lyrical depth, another innate item of the Mumford music, limps along in its emotional effective- ness on Wilder Mind. The myriad of references — Shakespearian, Platonic, Biblical and Steinbeck — sprinkled throughout 2009’s Sigh No More and 2012’s Babel make no similar reappearance in this 2015 effort. Most lyrical ref- erences relate the music to areas of New York City, like a district of Brooklyn, as in “Ditmas,” or in the album’s opener, “Tompkins Square Park.” The final product is still engaging, but these small subtractions in Wilder Mind erode the potential diversity past albums incorporated. “So I took you to the city for the night / to dance under dizzy, silver lights” sings Marcus Mum- ford in the verses of the second- ary, yet undeniably pretty track “Broad-Shouldered Beasts.” Touching and wholesome, many Wilder Mind tracks reveal that the signature Mumford brand of sonic and lyrical imagery wasn’t completely abolished by the electric guitar. For better or for worse, and as a result of the band’s creative boredom or rein- vented inspirations, the album’s sound is more mainstream and malleable. As waves of musical electric- ity replaced the simple acoustic guitar Dylan plucked over his gravelly vocal tellings of a lady who left him tangled up in blue, many were convinced that Dylan made his transition for the sake of greater mainstream recogni- tion and fandom. He was accused of giving the people what they want, because they, and all else associated with current popular culture media forums, dictated the market. But when examined retrospectively, Dylan’s foray into electronic was successful. His talents as a musician sur- passed the strictures set in place by his audience. Dylan’s persona as the peace-loving troubadour belittled his smorgasbord of tal- ents. Dylan’s electronic days bril- liantly juxtaposed all that he once was and all that he was supposed to be. Dylan’s changing of musical avenues isn’t perfectly paralleled in Mumford’s recent departure, but similarities must be noted. The changing of the artist brings criticism across the spectrum: from “these boys are sell outs” to “this is innovative and inter- esting; bring on the change.” Nevertheless, these multifaceted debates belie a mediocre album. Uninteresting with sporadic moments of radical or inspired musicality, Wilder Mind is con- currently the most and least inno- vative album the men of Mumford & Sons have produced to date. Mediocre changes on ‘Wilder Mind’ ALBUM REVIEW B Mumford & Sons Wilder Mind Glassnote MUMFORD & SONS Does this alley make us look grunge?