‘Rushmere’ has a lot riding on it. It’s Mumford & Sons’ first album as a trio following the departure of Winston Marshall and frontman Marcus Mumford’s confessional 2022 solo debut, but it also sees them return to their roots. The question is: can they still muster the magic that sent them to the top of the indie-folk mountain?
The short answer is no. Teaming up with country super-producer Dave Cobb has lent a rootsy Americana twang to proceedings, but broadly ‘Rushmere’ feels like a B-sides and rarities collection culled from sessions for the band’s first two albums, ‘Sigh No More’ and ‘Babel’.
Where It Belongs, for example, is as paint-by-numbers Mumford & Sons as it gets. It’s got a dash of acoustic guitars, a pinch of piano there, and a smattering of honey-soaked harmonies, but otherwise it’s under-seasoned.
Mumford, Ted Dwane, and Ben Lovett are perfectly capable of writing songs like this in their sleep and, equally, it’s hard to tell Monochrome, Anchor, and Blood On The Page apart from each other, as their signature slow-burning strumming blurs together.
Frustratingly, there are a few standout moments that remind you why the world fell head over heels for Mumford & Sons way back when. Caroline’s roots-rock is packed with storytelling pomp and a charming chorus that recalls Counting Crows, while Truth shakes, rattles, and rolls its way through rumbling funk and swaggering Americana.
Surrender, too, builds its strength breath by breath, before shouting from the rooftops with glittering piano, big band drums, and splashes of synthesiser courtesy of The National’s Aaron Dessner. It’s no surprise the album’s finest moment, its title track, is the only one with a banjo on it. But while ‘Rushmere’ adds a few more singalongs to their setlist, it’s missing the fizz and promise of their early work.
Mumford and Sons Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue April 01 2025 - LIVERPOOL Dome at Grand Central Hall - Complex
Thu April 03 2025 - KINGSTON UPON THAMES PRYZM Kingston
Fri July 04 2025 - DUBLIN Malahide Castle
Sat November 29 2025 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Utilita Arena
Sun November 30 2025 - LEEDS first direct Arena
Tue December 02 2025 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Wed December 03 2025 - MANCHESTER Co-op Live
Fri December 05 2025 - SHEFFIELD Utilita Arena
Sun December 07 2025 - BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena
Mon December 08 2025 - CARDIFF Utilita Arena
Wed December 10 2025 - LONDON O2 Arena
Thu December 11 2025 - LONDON O2 Arena
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