Music: Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

Mumford and Sons do actually have a band member called "Mumford." But their "and sons" name comes from a fictional shop.

It's a long time since a band admitted to using a flugelhorn much less a "nail and string."

It's also a long time since a band had a violin and cello up front.

OK, so wander into pubs all over Ireland and you'll see some of those - along with some other age-old instruments but (and this does not decry their talent which is often superb) those bands, limited by lack of opportunity, are very often stuck in a timewarp of old Irish folk and drinking songs. For a nation of poets and musicians, it's surprising that only Christy Moore has broken out of that mould whilst still playing music recognisable as traditional folk. It is also surprising that Mumford and Sons are all from West London.

Mumford and Sons were formed in 2007. They were not a "formed by committee" band created by a dubious reality TV show or a producer. And they did not rush to put out a heavily publicised album. Instead they wrote their songs and then perfected them in a punishing live touring schedule.

A small run of limited issue 10-inch vinyl records was released in late 2008 - recorded in the best folk traditions in a room at home. A couple of EPs followed. And so did sell-out gigs.

But it was not until 2010 that the band, working with Arcade Fire and Bjork's producer Markus Dravs, put together this, their first full album.

There are so many things to compliment that it's hard to know where to start. Production: clean, crisp, totally balanced in background, vocals clear and up front. Some tracks have the kind of presence that one gets singing in the bath. That's a good thing.

Instruments? Delicate. Strings like whalesong (Timsel), steel guitar suggests bluegrass, distorted guitar suggests grunge, mandolin suggests folk, violin suggests country. Then again, there is heavy, barely psychedelic, rock (Awake My Soul).

The end result is sitting somewhere between London, Dublin, Louisiana and Texas. And whilst drawing on all, it creates an almost unique identity.

If there is a parallel to be drawn (and in truth there is not) then some of the tracks are reminiscent of some of the soundtrack for "Elizabeth Town" or "Into the Wild."

The sound is absorbing: within moments, if one concentrates, one is lost - the world passes by and the music fills all aspects of awareness. But unlike, say, White Hotel's First Water, which demands concentration, Sigh No More can be gentle background music, too.

There are few albums that ever achieve that: Sade's Diamond Life, Dire Straits .Brother's in Arms

So that's the music: what about the lyrics? It's early 20th century poetry (and yes, that is the correct century). Complex, opaque, easy to listen to and gain an impression but difficult to grasp in all its depth. When future syllabus-setters are deciding what modern poetry to put before older pupils in schools, Mumford and Son's lyrics should be towards the top of the list, demonstrating a clear jump back in time. Comparison with both English and American poets would not be false.

What's the verdict? A genuinely pleasurable album that demands a place in your collection - and in the car, on your MP3 player and in every room in the house.

It might not be the only album you play for the next month - but it will be damned close.

Buy now: Amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery)