(October 17, 2012) — The banjo, a usually uncommon instrument in radio music, has now swept the nation and found a place in everyone’s hearts. As soon as the sound of those cords being struck hits your ears it’s without any doubt that in a few moments the unique, raspy sound of Marcus Mumford will flood your environment. Mumford and Sons globally conquered in 2009 with its debut album Sigh No More , which won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year and Top Rock and Alternative Album at the Billboard Music Awards in 2011. As Sigh No More lies at number twelve on Billboard 200, above many newer albums such as Overexposed by Maroon 5, Mumford and Sons’ most recent album, Babel , sits atop cloud nine at number one. There is no doubt, though, that the band has passion. Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwayne have been touring relentlessly since day one, whether it be to promote themselves or to help out their good friend and fellow British artist Laura Marling. And it’s this passion that comes through so adamantly in Mumford’s voice, Lovett’s keyboard, Marshall’s banjo and Dwayne’s guitar. Along with this striking passion, the allusions in the lyrics are also very clear. There are numerous biblical references such as, “Like the city that nurtured my greed and my pride,” which refers to the story of the Tower of Babel from the Bible. Mumford himself runs an online bookstore available on the band’s official website, and many of his influences for his music come from novels and authors. It’s a nice change, considering we live in a time dominated by pop, to have folk-rock be leading the way. But some critics, as the Chicago Tribune puts it, “call the band out for their shallow roots and folkie pretensions.” Mumford and Sons, though, isn’t trying to necessarily bring back folk, so that isn’t the right aspect to be criticizing. Rather, the band hasn’t creatively expanded since their last album, making Babel filled with predictable songs that make one wonder if it isn’t Sigh No More accidentally playing. Although Marcus Mumford’s voice and passion can be uplifting, listening to his singing for an entire album can get tedious. The album is one to go in search of when in the mood, not one to play in the car while driving in frustrating L.A. traffic. Throughout the entire album the one song that is the least predictable is “Remember,” simply because there isn’t the common loud-quiet-loud style Mumford and Sons has gotten us more than comfortable with. Also, both “Lover’s Eye” and “Broken Crow” are a bit heavier in the British folk elements, allowing for a pleasant reminder of actually how unique the band is. Mumford and Sons will be playing at the Hollywood Bowl on Nov. 10 and 12. The show is said to be sold out on online ticket retailers like Ticketmaster, but tickets are still available on second-hand ticket retailers such as StubHub. And, according to reviews in In My Community, fans are raving that it’s the “concert of the year” with a “mesmerizing and magical” overall performance by the artists.