“Prizefighter” combines a  smoother collaborative approach with the familiarity of Mumford & Sons’ acoustic style. The collaborations include Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Grace Abrams, and Gigi Perez, with The National’s Aaron Dessner producing. Rather than focusing on anthems ready for arenas/stadiums, the band’s attention is on emotional openness.

The record opens with Chris Stapleton featuring on ‘Here’, where Chris and Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford exchange verses over a country-inspired duet. The following track, called ‘Rubber Band Man’ with Hozier, has the same premise over strong harmonies and delicate acoustic. The song was given to Marcus after Brandi Carlile had a dream about him singing it. It expresses longing and hope.

‘Run Together’ and ’The Banjo Song’ adopt the modern folk of stomp-and-clap that the band were initially known for, but more mature and restrained.

‘Conversation with My Son (Gangsters & Angels)’ sees the band broaden their horizon with honest storytelling, combining broader emotion with personal narrative.

The title track and ‘Begin Again’ explore love, resilience and doubt, which is what the album is all about. These more delicate shifts make Marcus’ earnest lyricism, careful arrangements, and the band’s harmonies rise above.

New layers surface when Gig Perez and Gracie Abrams featured on ‘Icarus’ and ‘Badlands’, respectively. They do appear to overpower Marcus’ vocals during certain sections, which probably was not meant to happen.

Some songs are weakened by the record’s mid-tempo, polished production, like ‘Alleycat’ and ‘I’ll Tell You Everything’, which do not fit the band’s raw emotion. The closer ‘Clover’ is a gentle finish, but still shows the thoughtful mood of the album.

“Prizefighter” may be a safe option by bringing familiarity, but there are seldom anthemic songs, which we associate with their beginnings. It’s a solid record that showcases their prowess with warm acoustic sounds, vulnerability, and thought-provoking lyrics.

The only thing that has changed is that anthemic songs have given way to more mature, subtle ones.

Song recommendations: ‘Rubber Band Man’, ‘Here’, ‘Conversation with My Son (Gangsters & Angels)’

8/10