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.
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Wilder Mind is due out through Glassnote Records on May 4. The album is Mumford & Sons' third studio effort, following 2009's Sigh No More (which earned the band a best new artist Grammy nod) and 2012's Babel (which took home the album of the year Grammy). The latter album opened with over 600,000 copies sold in its first week.
The group will support the new LP with another set of Gentlemen of the Road stopover tour dates, setting up two-day festivals in smaller markets with the likes of Foo Fighters, the Flaming Lips and Alabama Shakes on as support (full details here). Mumford & Sons will also be performing at festivals like Bonnaroo and Reading & Leeds later this year.