You could call it snobbery. Some music critics tend to be averse to yesterday’s news.
, who played the first of two sold-out shows Wednesday at the in Denver, have reached the level of prolonged critical mass stateside that has invariably placed them under the microscope of naysayer stricture. (Case in point, yesterday’s column: ) In the U.S., that type of unfounded scorn either means that you’re lead-singer is dating a Hollywood starlet or that your band is an overnight sensation. Or, in the case of this particular West London indie-folk outfit, that most certainly means both.
All beef aside, itap hard to deny the rife popularity of Mumford & Sons (even after nearly a year and a half since their debut album “Sigh No More” was released). To a spry and hysteric crowd at the Fillmore, the band dazzled with an assemblage of four-part harmonies, spirited theatrics and a feverish horn-section. Marcus Mumford, who lived in Denver for a brief four-month span, even joined fellow chum (and Denver’s own) Nathaniel Rateliff onstage for a fetching rendition of “Shroud” during the latter’s opening set — which outfitted the evening with an exultant homecoming hue.
As Mumford hit the stage under the glow of a vintage lighting scheme, the vigor of “Awake My Soul” followed a similar thread as the crowd joined in a collective choral swoon. “Roll Away Your Stone” took to task as a barn-burner and cascaded into uproarious applause and iPhone wielding manic snapshots. The band was also opportunistic; on several occasions dipping into new material and leading keyboardist Ben Lovett to quip, “We just wrote a new song yesterday — want to hear it?” “Little Lion Man,” Mumford’s proverbial self-anthem was explosive too — even though itap well-worn, and in the minds of some gadflies, a bit hackneyed.
But to those who prefer their music drenched in obscurity and novelty, Mumford stands in stark contrast. And on this night, the jubilant throng in attendance could seem to care less.
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Kris K. Coe is a freelance writer, Denver-native, and new contributor to Reverb.
Nathan Iverson is a Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb.
