Oakland's Vinyl Vault - Sigh No More

The second week in a row where I actually publish something! We're on a roll, baby! But don't get too excited, it's still the same old shit. Anyway, this week the ol' randomizer spit out something you kids these days may actually have heard of: it's Sigh No More, by Mumford & Sons.

Release date: October 2, 2009
Singles: Little Lion Man, Winter Winds, The Cave, Roll Away Your Stone
For those of you keeping score at home, Sigh No More just edges out The xx, which came out in August of the same year, for "Newest Album Reviewed on This Shitty Blog." Hey, I just noticed that both of those bands hail from jolly ol' England! Coincidence? Yes, yes it is.

Anyway, as you are probably aware, Mumford & Sons is now quite popular, and it's all thanks to this great debut album. One thing that helps separate Mumford & Sons and gives them their folk rock sound is their instrumentation: most songs consist of guitar, keyboard, banjo, and upright bass. You may notice that there is no drummer. The rhythm is driven partly by the guitar and keyboard, but most of the energy is imparted with a bass drum. This allows the music to make you feel like having a stompin' good time in a barn. Or something.

Rating: 8 thumbs up - It's easy to hear why this band is so popular. A great album for lounging around, maybe having a few pints of ale.

Finally, here's the music video for "Winter Winds." I picked this one because it was the only one where Mumford is sporting a full-blown mustache. Also, I think Mumford may be the only person I know of that likes vests more than Pat.