Album Review: Mumford & Sons’ “Prizefighter” steps into feature-heavy work for sixth studio album

Audrey Coleman
Sun, 22 Feb 2026 01:10:26 +0000
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Marcus Mumford plays guitar and sings with the British acoustic folk rock band Mumford & Sons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit during their Delta Tour on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Credit: John T. Greilick/ The Detroit News via TNS

Less than a year after their return to the music scene, Mumford & Sons released their sixth studio album, “Prizefighter,” Friday.?

The album takes more of a collaborative stance, with features from Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Gigi Perez and Gracie Abrams all having credits on tracks. Behind the scenes, big names such as Aaron Dessner and Brandi Carlile worked on producing the album.?

The album finds itself in the middle of their folk style — made popular by hit songs “Little Lion Man,” “I Will Wait” and “White Blank Page” — but not quite in the same pop sphere as their 2018 album “Delta.”?

The 14-track album opens with “Here,” Chris Stapleton’s feature on the record. It’s a simple opener, not relying too heavily on aggressive drums and letting Stapleton’s vocals take the lead during the second half of the song.

“Rubber Band Man,” featuring Hozier, follows the opening song and was one of the singles released before the full album. The song is reminiscent of simple tracks from older projects, pulling in calm banjo and guitar to back the emotional lyrics.?

“You’re a world away / But you’re still the same / I know you by your heart / I will call you by your name / And it’s a long way / From the crack to the break / You know that I remember everything,” lead singer Marcus Mumford and Hozier sing in the chorus of the song, making it a staple in a breakup playlist.?

“The Banjo Song” is the first track without a feature and another one of the singles. If the title wasn’t self explanatory, the song truly only uses banjos — apart from some light piano — as the instrumental backing.

“Run Together” starts slowly and builds to the classic Mumford sound with strong folk roots, tying back to the music that put the band’s name on the map. The song could easily fit into older albums, which isn’t necessarily a bad concept in this situation.

“Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels,)” claims the title of the first slow, stripped song on the album. At the Columbus show in Oct. 2025, the trio ended the show with a fully acoustic version of the track and kept the minimalistic production for the final version.?

“We’d rather be ruined than change / And die in our dread / But love your crooked neighbour / With your crooked heart,” the group sings, following up the chorus with an acoustic guitar break.

After a break with “Alleycat,” the title track “Prizefighter” falls right back into the stripped-down style,? followed by a complete turnaround into “Begin Again,” the most upbeat song of the album.

Going back to the collaborations, “Icarus” features Gigi Perez, the young singer who skyrocketed to fame after releasing the TikTok-viral, “Sailor Song.”?

“Icarus” and “Stay” sound very similar, but fit the vibe the album is trying to capture — high-quality production paired with lyrics that feel authentic from the band, even after being together for almost 18 years.?

“Badlands,” featuring Gracie Abrams, feels extremely similar to Abrams’ hit song “That’s So True,” especially in the beat the lyrics are sung. Out of all the songs, this is the biggest outlier, but a solid listen nonetheless.

“Shadow of a Man” is good, but not a standout in the track list, slipping into the same category as “Icarus” and “Stay.”

The album ends with two slower tracks, “I’ll Tell You Everything” and “Clover,” both playing into the more emotional side of the group’s lyrics.?

“I’ll Tell You Everything” is definitely the more gutwrenching of the two, with the chorus being “And in the end, I’ll tell you everything / Even if it keeps you awake / And by the end, you’ll know me for everything / How far I bend before I break.”?

Overall, the album is a happy medium of new territory for the band, while also staying true to their roots as a group. The collaborations bring new life to an old style, while leaving more room for growth and exploration in the future.?

Rating: 4/5