Seven months after the release of their UK Number One album ‘Rushmere’ in March 2025, Mumford & Sons return with another full-length record, ‘Prizefighter‘. Rather than easing off after a major chart success, the trio channelled their creativity into writing more than an album’s worth of material in just ten days, resulting in a 14-track collection that captures a band who, creatively, are in full flow.
Now, as a precursor to this review I have to admit that, until I saw Mumford & Sons last year, they were a name which had been on my radar but, if you asked me to name one of their songs, I would have drawn a blank. The reason I raise this point is that, arriving at their show in Leeds, it genuinely surprised me to discover an arena packed (and I mean packed) out from front to back with fans from all demographics so I was clearly in the minority when it came to the indie-folk outfit and their popularity. Mumford & Sons undoubtedly have their market and, after listening to ‘Prizefighter’, there is no doubting that this latest collection of songs is going to be a winner for every single one of that market.
Going completely against the grain where an industry is obsessed with quick hits and the next big thing, Marcus Mumford and Co. have channelled their creative energy into creating an album that is exactly what has turned them into a fully-fledged arena-selling, festival headlining behemoth. Easy to digest, ‘Prizefighter’ is fourteen songs of pleasant on the ear folk-rock. The fact that song two “Rubber Band Man”, a song which sees them collaborate with fellow folk-indie superstar, Hozier, sounds exactly like you would expect a collaboration between these two artists to sound, shows how artists like Mumford & Sons have found the magic ingredient. “The Banjo Song” has an almost earthy, organic feel despite a million-dollar production as does “Run Together”. Both songs which sound inoffensive and intimate, but are played out to millions of fans across the world.
The title track is a tender acoustic number whereas the following track, “Begin Again” shows an ability to write songs that sound like huge indie folk rock anthems. “Stay” is another example of this where the Marcus and Co add a bit of energy to their formula as, over and over again, the band show me exactly why I was in the minority when it comes to my preconcieved ideas of what a Mumford & Sons album was all about.
One of the final few tracks of the album sees the group collaborate with Gracie Abrams on the poignant ”Badlands”. Slightly off piste when it comes to the Mumford & Sons blueprint, this intimate effort proves itself to be one of the highlights the album, and has the hallmarks of being an absolutely spectacular addition to the setlist (with or with Abrams input). “Shadow Of Man” and “I‘ll Tell You Everything” follow with Mumford & Sons returning to what I would refer to as their textbook sound before the gentle strum of “Clover” plays out the final moments of this album.
Looping back to my tale earlier about finally discovering Mumford & Sons and getting a sense of their popularity, listening to ‘Prizefighter’ has shown me why this band are so popular. An album that will tick every box of what a Mumford & Sons album should sound like, there are a few surprising elements in there (well to me at least), to guarantee that the love affair that the world and their dog has with Mumford & Sons remains as strong as ever.
Pre-order your copy of ‘Prizefighter’ here.
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