Mumford and Sons – Winter Winds

Mumford and Sons played a gig in New York a few months ago, at the legendary Mercury Lounge, as a warm up to their SXSW performances.  Foolishly, I didn’t go, despite all the hype I’d heard about them.

Foolish, because if this track is anything to go by, Mumford and Sons would have been quite a treat to see.

‘Winter Winds’ is a delicious concoction of dreamy melodies and sweet lyrics. Banjos and trumpets feature heavily in this track, a somewhat strange combination, yet it works.

An upbeat little fellow, the song reminds me a lot of a tune which might have been played in some sort of medieval court; the trumpet solo near the end is particularly fanfare-like.  The music makes way for the verse, leaving Mumford’s voice enough room to tell his story without too much getting in the way, but the chorus is a rich mixture of vocal harmonies and band.

Lyrically poetic (“As the winter winds/litter London with lonely hearts/oh, the warmth in your eyes/swept me into your arms”), the song tells of the classic head vs. heart battle over love.  There is talk of beating hearts, and the fast paced strumming on the banjo does a good job of emulating the quickening of a heartbeat upon seeing a loved one.

The folksy feel, the use of banjo and the poetic lyrics could be compared easily to Fleet Foxes and possibly even Willy Mason (although this is slightly more cheerful) – both of whom are critically acclaimed artists.  Mumford & Sons have also had their fair share of praise, and having heard their material for the first time here, I think it’s thoroughly deserved.