Mumford & Sons kept us waiting over two years for their second full-length album, “Babel.” The album, which hit music shelves on Sept. 24, seriously delivers. They seem to cover nearly every topic – love, life, depression, friendships and relationship – with catchy melodies and heart-pounding rhythm. Did I mention the inspiring lyrics that practically force you to sing along?

The first track, “Babel,” starts off with powerful, fast strumming guitars and banjos with a sort of upbeat anthem to one’s hometown, using lyrics along the lines of, “Like the city that nursed my greed and my pride/I stretch my arms into the sky/I cry Babel, Babel, look at me now.” The song (and the album as a whole) focuses on the trials and tribulations of life that will ultimately lead us to heaven. Lead singer Marcus Mumford makes you understand the power of music with his outstanding chest voice proclaiming every lyric in its precise emotional form.

The first single released from “Babel,” “I Will Wait,” is a declaration of true love, with lyrics like “Raise my hands/paint my spirit gold/and bow my head/keep my heart slow,” to show the give and takes of a loving relationship. Halfway through, the song slows down into what sounds like perfect harmony, making you want to sing along. Ultimately, the song’s deep meaning has to do with the need for dependence on each other for comfort and acceptance in a relationship, something we do not hear often in music today.

“Below My Feet” is one of the album’s stronger tracks. The song starts off slow with a cynical message of depression and loneliness (“And the light which led us from our chosen homes/well, I was lost/and now I sleep/sleep the hours that I can’t weep”). These lyrics lead the listener into a beautiful, almost a cappella chorus that will surely send goose bumps up your arms. “Below My Feet” is also one of the most spiritual songs on the album, with lyrics like “Keep the earth below my feet/for all my sweat/my blood runs weak/let me learn from where I have been.” If I had to predict their next single, I would bet on this one.

The last song, a slower track called “Where Are You Now,” seems to be a story of the break-up of a couple that had once shared true love, as told in some of the earlier songs. The man wonders, “Where are you now?/Do you ever think of me in the quiet/in the crowd?” The persistent strumming of the guitar almost resembles a bittersweet lullaby that plays over and over in your head. The song ends slowly with the question of “Where are you now?” still unanswered. This is a brilliant concept, considering life often gives you questions that can never be answered.

The thing that will attract the public to this album and this brilliant band is their honesty and passion. Every song is so powerful and beautiful you can’t help but want to learn every lyric. Plus, there’s a great consistency in these songs; each one flows perfectly into the next, making it almost like a complete story. That being said, there are so many different messages in these songs that just about everyone can relate to something. Cue a pounding beat and soaring vocals from Mr. Mumford and you’ve found your life anthem.