4/10

After taking a brief hiatus shortly after the release of their second album 'Babel', Mumford & Sons have returned with a new sound for their third studio album. The banjo and traditional folk influences are out and a drummer and screeching guitar solos are in as 'Wilder Mind' seems to have rejected all of the band's original quirks to become a more contemporary outfit, and the result is mixed to say the least.

While their first two albums may not have been to everyone's taste, they did help the band stand out from the crowd and allow them to become one of the most instantly identifiable outfits of the last decade. But 'Wilder Mind' seems like it could have been written by Coldplay on an off day as all the elements of memorable songwriting have been stripped away in exchange for middle-of-the-road indie rock.

It may be a more positive direction for the band themselves, but as a listener, you can't say that they would have become the international success they are if this was their first album. It's far more serious approach has lost all the fun of their previous works and makes for a very forgettable release.