Mumford And Sons - Mumford and Sons New Album Splits American And British Critics

British folksters Mumford & Sons second album Babel came out this week on the back of some mixed critical reviews, suggesting that the much vaunted nu-folk movement that began a few years ago with the likes of them, Laura Marling and Noah & The Whale all breaking through into the UK charts might soon be at an end.

That said, America still seems to be a fan: "The band has mastered the emotional gut-punch of quiet/loud dynamics, exploding from low-murmured harmonies into full Appalachian freak-outs" said Entertainment Weekly, whilst Billboard commented "Babel reveals a band happy to remain entirely Mumford - although a larger, smoother Mumford, offering fresh nuances and textures while emboldened by the promise of the initial mission."

Trouble comes for the band when they run into critics from their native homeland. "With every crescendo of catgut and steel, their lack of nuance becomes wearing" writes The Observer, whilst Uncut says "the focus on matters of the heart is limiting, reducing the genre to the level of rusticised boy-band pop." However they find friends in Clash Magazine, who write "It's very much a 'if it ain't broke' album and, for now, that's okay." An average score of 68 on Metacritic won't set the hearts racing, but you sense they might be a big enough act now to get by without the help of the critics.