Mumford & Sons weren't kidding when a press release from the band last week heralded a "significant departure" from their best-selling folk stylings. New single "Believe," which was released on Monday (Mar. 9) and previews new album Wilder Mind, has done away with the band's beloved banjos in favor of a more stadium-ready rock sound in the vein of Coldplay or Oasis.
Following the busy stomp of past hits like "Little Lion Man" and "I Will Wait," "Believe" glides in with atmospheric guitars and Marcus Mumford's voice stripped bare, the frontman quivering, "I don't even know if I believe/Everything you're trying to say to me," before the bass and percussion arrive. After the careful build of the song's first two minutes, a screeching electric guitar denotes a stark change of direction, and as the pace quickens Mumford returns with a plea of, "Say something, say something/Something like you love me." "Believe" finally reaches a crescendo in the final chorus, aiming for an epic sing-along to match its humble beginnings and succinctly hitting its mark.