Mumford and Sons

Responsible for one of this year's best albums, this English band sounds very Irish, sings some beautiful harmonies and has brought the banjo back into fashion. Their recently released album Sigh No More has been at the top of the Australian albums chart for two weeks and is now still a respectable third place. They are a little like many artists with the rhythms of Wilco's Airline to Heaven, the voice of Jordie Lane, the Irishness of Flogging Molly, but are exactly like no one.

And this is only a good thing. Listening to their album you will be struck by the complexities in their songs, the slow starts that build up to frantic instrumental and vocal crescendos. There are soaring horns and violins that rise above the guitars. Opening track Sigh No More starts with only soft guitar, then the elements of the band all click into place one by one. Second track The Cave has one of the best choruses this year and Winter Winds is a beautiful sad tale. Most of the album consists of break up songs- perhaps this melancholy aura permeating the tracks is what makes it such a great recording.

Other highlights include Roll Away Your Stone, single Little Lion Man, and I Gave You All. If you are one of those people perturbed by hype, pretend you aren't and jump on the growing bandwagon which for once is entirely justified.