By Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta, News Staff

I don’t “get” Mumford & Sons. I’m sorry, I just don’t. Beloved by college students and hipsters, the British quartet is comprised of Marcus Mumford on lead vocals, guitar and the occasional kick-drum; Ben Lovett on keyboard and accordion; Winston Marshall on banjo and guitar; and Ted Dwane on string bass. Call me crazy, but I think if you’re a band there should be a full-time drummer in there somewhere.

With legions of fans and a 2013 Album of the Year Grammy, Mumford & Sons are a group sitting quite comfortably within the genre of folk revival. Dressed like they’ve just time traveled from the American Dust Bowl, these four lads are considered to be the anti-electronic act, standing distinctly apart from the blare of techy zips and synthetic instrumentation presently flooding the music industry.

Despite their gritty down-home image, all four of the members of Mumford & Sons come from wealthy British backgrounds which makes their cultural appropriation of the American West feel kind of gimmicky. And although speed-strumming string instruments and romantic lyrics are their trademark, the niche style of the group provides little wiggle room in terms of musical range. Hence, there is no substantial difference between their first album “Sigh No More” and their second album “Babel.” If you’ve heard one Mumford & Sons song, you’ve heard them all.

So imagine my surprise last week when the Internet was swept up with praise for the new Mumford & Sons music video. And you’ll never believe it, it’s actually good. Great, in fact. The video, for the song “Hopeless Wanderer” off of Babel, stars funnymen Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Ed Helms and Will Forte. In the video, each comedian plays a member of the band and Sudeikis, Bateman, Helms and Forte absolutely nail it.  They walk in slow motion on country roads, don okie wardrobes and parody the band’s over-the-top strumming and emotionalism by smashing guitars and weeping in each others arms.

What makes this video so appealing to non-Mumford fans is that it shows how Mumford and the rest of the gang have some self awareness in terms of how ripe they are for satire. What’s bogged them down for so long is just how damn serious they are about playing banjos, growing beards and wearing cowboy boots. The “Hopeless Wanderer” video shows a willingness to make fun of themselves reminiscent of when the aging Grateful Dead were portrayed as skeletons in their music video for “Touch of Grey.”

Being able to laugh at oneself is a trait that is all too underrated in today’s world and I’d be remiss not to give credit where credit is due.  Has the band’s shift from drama to comedy turned me into a Mumford & Sons fan? No. Am I going to start dressing in period clothing and debating the merits of banjos and upright basses? Hell no, but I have gotten into the habit of listening to “Hopeless Wanderer” at work. You win this round, Mumford…

Spotlight Playlist: The Only Three Mumford & Sons Songs I Like

1. “Hopeless Wanderer” off of Babel

2. “Little Lion Man” off of Sigh No More

3. “The Cave” off of Sigh No More

Twitter: @SpotlightColumn