Album Review: Mumford & Sons - Delta

It might not seem possible, but Mumford & Sons are somehow even less interesting than they were when they released their debut album, Sigh No More, almost ten years ago. At the time, the sound of their duelling banjos and lead singer Marcus Mumford’s strained singing suggested an authenticity that was perceived to be lacking in popular music. However, since then, the band have persevered in their quest to deliver earnestness, and an increasingly vague sense of sincerity, while distancing themselves from their earlier acoustic pretensions. 

Delta is the fourth record from the British outfit, the follow-up to their 2015 album, Wilder Mind. Produced by Paul Epworth, it’s no surprise that Delta sounds like much of the same sterilised, stadium-sized, radio-friendly rock music the Englishman has previously been responsible for (U2’s Songs Of Innocence feels like a similar record). 

According to Mumford, the album represents a place where “order meets chaos and shelter meets wilderness” – and if that sounds like some bullshit, it’s because it is. There is little use mentioning individual tracks, as many of them are virtually indistinguishable from each other – perhaps the chaos Mumford refers to is streaming algorithms, as the band have created an album that feels like it’s designed to blend into the background; even the album art is beige.