The Lumineers do not have a history of shying away from personal topics, as they have often embedded a mixed sense of both confronting life's struggles - from the mundane to wholly existential - with wanderlust within the lyrics of their most popular songs such as Cleopatra, Angela, Stubborn Love, Nobody Knows, and so on.
That does not mean their latest album III (so named for their third album release) is not a lucid gut check from the reality so many Americans presently face.
Tackling issues such as abandonment, alcoholism, gambling, mental health, and abuse, III chronicles the generational cycle of addiction from the perspective of three figures within the fictional Sparks family.
Presented as part of a unique three-chapter concept, the indie folk band from Denver delves into the cycle of addiction from the lens of an alcoholic matriarch to her gambling obsessed son and grandson who suffers it all. There are no heroes nor foes in III, only humans confronting the worst aspects of a life in anguished turmoil.
This is not to say III is either lacking the Lumineers trademark moments of acoustic accomplishment nor the joy their lyrics can summon (although the dark nature of the album is its central theme, bright moments are present in Life in the City, Gloria, Left for Denver, and the bonus track of Democracy), but they work in concert towards a greater tale.
It is not only a testament to the Lumineers ability to genuinely tell a heart wrenching story, but it is reflective of the issues facing the generation of Millennials who make up the majority of their audience.
Rarely does music leave me equally impressed yet stunned by its composition, but the Lumineers managed to do so over the course of all ten songs contained within the album's primary storyline. It is as if the origins of their debut album The Lumineers and the wanderlust storytelling of Cleopatra had a child, and its name was America.
I am very biased as an avid fan of the Lumineers music, but I would wholly recommend a listen or two to their new album III with close attention being paid to detail.
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