The underpinnings of addiction are impossible to identify. The tale is grounded. 22. Take, for example, the song “It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy for You,” from the album’s especially shaky second chapter. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. Pretend It's a City Proves Once Again, You Can't Argue with Fran Lebowitz, Beauty and Horror in George C. Wolfe's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Farnoosh Samadi's Impressive Debut, '180 Degree Rule', Leaves a Lasting Mark, 'Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago's LGBTQ Archives', Megan Rapinoe's 'One Life' Is Pitch-Perfect, The Mandalorian's Political Allegory: Diversity Is the Way, Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe' and Emerging Institutions of Black Power, COVID-19 and Our Purgatory of Consumerism, Barry Gibb Re-Visits Bee Gees Classics with Superproducer Dave Cobb, J Mascis Welcomes You to Three Nights of Exquisite Songcraft and Pure Fun, Dave Scanlon's 'Pink in each, bright blue, bright green' Is a Stark, Deeply Elegant Solo Work. My favorite is not Gloria, the lead single, it’s Jimmy Sparks. This is particularly true for lead singer Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites; Schultz was childhood friends with Fraites’ brother who died as a result of his destructive alcoholism. Buy The Lumineers's album titled III. But III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. If this were released in the 70’s, it would have topped the charts for weeks. Songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites tell the story in three chapters following three generations of one family all within the folksy and poetic tone that makes them The Lumineers. Genre: Folk Pop. The complexity associated with addiction and those suffering from the disease is so vast, lesser musicians would shy away from undertaking the subject. III really captures that pain and struggle in a way that’s not negative, but rather empathetic and realistic at the same time. Danny Clinch /Courtesy of the artist The Lumineers have taken their latest album, III, as an opportunity to shine a light on a topic that's close to many of the members' lives — addiction. Released 13 September 2019 on Dualtone. The Lumineers III album review The Lumineer’s third studio album titled III is not just a an album. Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. After a more atmospheric sophomore album, any song from “III” would be right at home on The Lumineers’ self-titled debut. Through "Jimmy Sparks" listeners learn that after Junior was born "the mother had other reasons to live / She left the baby with a note on the bed". With two platinum albums already under their belt, expectations are high for alternative folk outfit The Lumineers, who are touring in support of their latest studio album III. Rated #1249 in the best albums of 2019. III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. The Lumineers III Editorial Reviews Two-time GRAMMY-nominated band The Lumineers are back with their third album, III, a cinematic piece presented as a narrative in three chapters, with each one centering on one main character. Photo: Danny Clinch / Courtesy of the artist, The Beatles 'Let It Be': So Good They Ruined It for Everyone - PopMatters ›, The Lumineers - North American Tour 2020 ›, The Lumineers (@thelumineers) | Twitter ›, The Lumineers (@thelumineers) • Instagram photos and videos ›, Elvis Costello Gets Dark and Brooding on 'Hey Clockface', Popular Culture Is Eating Its History and OMD Are Not Complaining, Shanghai Restoration Project Offer Innovative Alternate Reality on 'Brave New World Symphony', Maxwell Stern Gives Us a Warm Car in Frigid Winter with 'Impossible Sum', Susan Alcorn's 'Pedernal' Is a Chamber Jazz/Americana Blend, MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of December 2020. The Lumineers have this uncanny ability to make folk songs sound like pop ones. The Lumineers broke up the story telling by splitting III into three parts, the final of which will be released on Sept. 13, along with the album as a whole for the first time. Now, The Lumineers have blown that formula of catchy inoffensiveness to pieces. Both women are defined by periods of mania followed by inactivity, all extenuated by heavy drinking and dangerous behavior. It’s evident how much thought, effort, and creativity went into creating this album. The Lumineers have told their own story in "III," a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. Their newest album, III, is a glorious explosion that reminds fans what folk rock is really about: unflinching storytelling.The new project follows one family's story of addiction through three generations. The first chapter of the album’s story deals with Gloria Sparks, the alcoholic matriarch of the Sparks family. Whereas the lyrics don't fully capture Gloria's psychology, the video depicts the character suffering from a similar mental illness as her mother's. While also not connecting with the overarching narrative and theme, it carries a strange sentiment for what sounds like a lighthearted acoustic number. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. Schultz's voice is again harrowing as he repeats, "My cell / My pretty little cell / All alone." twitter. Here the band is explicit, almost heavy-handed, in establishing the album's interconnections. I highly recommend both the album and short film III to anyone who likes The Lumineers, but especially to people who don’t really like or know much about them or their music, because this album is arguably their best yet, and this film truly enhances the experience of listening to the album. Share Tweet. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. As such, the Lumineers offer a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of addiction's cycle. In the song “Leader of the Landslide,” he describes how Gloria “drank the whole bottle, forgot my name; all I ever wanted was a mother for the first time,” coming to the angry conclusion that “maybe when she's dead and gone I'll get some sleep.”, In the album’s third chapter, the cycle comes full circle: just as Gloria’s alcoholism ruined her relationship with her kids, her son Jimmy lets his alcoholism stand between his relationship with his son, Junior. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about The Lumineers - III at Discogs. PopMatters have been informed by our current technology provider that we have to move off their service. The … Considering its tone, lyrics like “I took the poison praying you'd feel it too” and “Wrapped my neck and prayed that you’d feel the noose” might make listeners do a double-take. The independent news organization of Duke University. The next three tracks focus on Gloria's grandson Junior Sparks, battling his challenges with dependency and mental illness. T he Lumineers’ third full-length studio album, aptly titled III, is as much of a cinematic masterpiece as it is a masterpiece of an album. The Lumineers foreshadow Junior's sorrowful existence in Donna's narratives when it's established she "always hated the name, Junior". This multigenerational tale of woe follows a family that is, at its core, extremely dysfunctional. As well as being the Lumineers' third album, the album title also references that the album is presented in three chapters, each focusing on a different main character of the fictional Sparks family. Indeed, they mostly earn some semblance of that title. Subscribe to our weekly email about what's trending at Duke. Lumineers co-founder Jeremiah Fraites said "This collection of songs worked out in a beautiful way, and I feel with this album we've really hit our stride." Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) September 13, 2019. Is Christian Petzold's 'Undine' Myth or Therapeutic Dialogue? Shop Vinyl and CDs and complete your The Lumineers collection. We are moving to WordPress and a new host, but we really need your help to fund the move and further development. However, The Lumineers’ ambition for “III” is not without any merit — it’s an album of charming, albeit thematically bleak and often forgettable, acoustic tunes. The narrative can be powerful at moments; however, the songs fall flat when divorced from the album’s overarching story. One of the best album contenders for 2019. The numeric title carries a double meaning: the album is a song cycle told in three parts, with the first two available as a digital EP prior to the September 2019 release of III. The album concludes with the narrative of Jimmy Sparks, Gloria's son, and Junior's father. The jingly chords and catchy lyrics are unlike the rest of the album's bleak and minor-chord driven music. Do we really enjoy silence? The album ends with Junior bitterly abandoning his father: “The old man waved his hands with tears in his eyes, but Jimmy's son just sped up… ‘cause it’s me or him.”. The album ends with the track "Salt and the Sea" avowing addiction as a disease rather than a problem of will. The mania exhibited by Gloria and Donna reappears in Jimmy's pressured speech. The tale is grounded. As Fraite explained in an interview with NPR, “With drug addiction or alcoholism it really affects the individual and then it has a sort of fallout effect — similar to the effects of a radiation bomb — over time and over years and years, it continually tends to affect people's loved ones.”, While “III” presents an interesting and personal concept, listeners still might find the album a little gimmicky. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. To make art with a topic so painful, such as watching someone close to you battle alcoholism, is difficult. With Anna Cordell, Nick Stahl, Charlie Tahan, Joshua Close. Donna is a woman battling alcoholism and mental illness. They take the stringed sensibilities and emotional sensitivities of Americana music and, somehow, make it feel like Top 40/ mainstream radio. III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. The Lumineers have always had a knack for narrative songwriting. Music Reviews: III by The Lumineers released in 2019 via Decca Records. III, an Album by The Lumineers. That said, most of the songs maintain a decidedly hollow-eyed sound, one that requires the listener to lean in and patiently wait for the songs to reach a crescendo. There are bands that can really pull off a powerfully bitter breakup song — The Lumineers, however, are definitely not one of those bands. The video, which screened as a whole at the Toronto International Film Festival, is fearless and authentic. ... Use up arrow (for mozilla firefox browser alt+up arrow) and down arrow (for mozilla firefox browser alt+down arrow) to review and enter to select. The fictional Sparks family stumble through a harsh life, meeting addiction, violence, misogyny and desperation along the way. His life is defined by suffering, violence, and mental illness. In III, they continue to make quietness and self-reflection feel like constant desires. The Lumineers’ III is a visual exploration of the band’s third and latest album. What III does accomplish very effectively is showing us the consequences of a parent’s addictions on his or her children. Weezer's inconsistent career continues with mediocre 'Black Album', 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships' showcases the 1975's growth, Recess reviews: Led Zeppelin's 'BBC Sessions', Don't Tell Mother is Durham's best-kept secret, TECH-NICAL DIFFICULTIES: Duke men's basketball's comeback attempt falls short at No. The Lumineers: III (2019) directed by Kevin Phillips • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd Throughout, Junior's longing is palpable, especially when he expresses the heartfelt plea for "a mother for the first time". There is no emotional reprieve in III. facebook III is accompanied by a ten-part music video, essentially a short film, directed by Kevin Phillips, creator of Netflix's "Super Dark Times". Both Gloria and Donna embody the intricacies of struggling with illness while fully illustrating the repercussions of alcohol dependency. “Democracy” is so in-the-vein in its execution that it’s a shame it’s only a Bonus Track, even if it is a cover. The concept album tells the story of a family dealing with alcoholism in three distinct acts, each featuring around three songs. Three generations of the same family grapple with addiction and inherited trauma in this cinematic rendering of the latest album from American folk-rock band The Lumineers. 20 Virginia Tech, Michael Mutersbaugh remembered for generosity, optimism, Five observations from Duke men's basketball's first half against Virginia Tech, Duke reports 34 new positive COVID-19 tests for students, 28 for faculty and staff out of 10,287 total, Duke alum to lead Biden's COVID-19 response. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. 10/10 While it seems that the band’s artistic progression may have stalled, their new album may be worth checking out — even if only to appreciate a new concept album in an age where they are few and far between. The Lumineers - Left For Denver (Part 6 Of 10) III is a concept album, based loosely on Schultz’s own family history. Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. Yet the visual representation demands the viewer bear witness to the family's trauma. While “III,” with its intricate lyrical storytelling, tells a tragic story about how cyclical alcoholism travels through generations, the songs themselves are underwhelming and near indistinguishable from The Lumineers’ previous work. Schultz's vocal delivery is emotive, thereby creating an affinity between musician, character, and listener. III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. It’s a musical, artistic puzzle and short movie, all packaged into one. Three generations of the same family grapple with addiction and inherited trauma in this cinematic rendering of the latest album from American folk-rock band The Lumineers. The Lumineers present a self-assured sound that seems to demand consideration as the new folk classics. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. Directed by Kevin Phillips. And those consequences are never good. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. Album Review: The Lumineers – “III” Ryan Feyre September 19, 2019 For their latest album, The Lumineers follow the old adage of “three times’ a charm.” The project’s title is III … But in the Lumineer's III, the band examines the effects of addiction across the fictional Sparks family. Her songs, including “Gloria,” explore how her alcoholism affects the relationship between her and her children: “Gloria, you crawled up on your cross; Gloria, you made us sit and watch; Gloria, no one said enough is enough.”, The second chapter concerns Gloria’s grandson, Junior Sparks. The album opens with the eponymous "Donna", the mother to the main character, Gloria Sparks. Gloria, based on Wesley Schultz's family member, is ravished by alcoholism. The Lumineers, “III” (Dualtone Music Group) Films, movies, television, books: They all tell stories that allow audiences to see glimpses of themselves. The image of a deserted child is frequently re-emphasized in the music video. AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine [+] III is a prosaic title for a release as ambitious as the Lumineers ' third effort. Many stunning songs from their self-titled first album, which projected them into the center of the indie music scene in 2012 with the hit single “Ho Hey,” are stories at their core. But "Gloria" presents a facade; the buoyancy is akin to an addict's attempt at hiding their addiction with fabricated happiness. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. SHARES. When Gloria is succumbing to her addiction, infant Jimmy is often depicted crawling through the house alone or sitting next to his mother's incapacitated body. The Lumineers’ latest record “III” is an ambitious third offering that has been rolling out in chapter-like EPs since May. Share and discuss “Third time is not the charm on The Lumineers’ ‘III’” on social media. Junior is positioned as a character that demands empathy when he laments "Fate has dealt me a lonely blow" in "Leader of the Landslide". As such, the album might seem inaccessible to some, schmaltzy to others. The album opens with the eponymous " … The Lumineers’ third effort is a difficult one to take in. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) Posted at 09:57h aLfie vera mella cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Music reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments. Just over a year ago on September 13, 2019, The Lumineers released “III” after teasing it on social media and releasing the single “Gloria” in April. The Lumineers III — the band obviously likes their album titles short and to the point — maintains the group’s fondness for providing hushed melodies that quietly build, billow and then conclude with majesty and grace. Strangely, no song is particularly memorable between all the rough acoustic riffs and Schultz’s signature raspy vocals. Unlike the band’s iconic folk-infused ballad “Ho Hey,” it is unlikely any single song from “III” will be stuck in your head for the next few years. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the … The album is accompanied by a short film, scenes from which also double as music videos. On their third album, “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. The subsequent "Life in the City" and "Gloria" shifts the lens to Donna's daughter Gloria Sparks. While the Sparks family of the album is fictional, the concept is rooted in the band members’ real-life struggles with cyclical addiction. Moreover, "Gloria's" tempo is reminiscent of Donna's periods of frenzy and inactivity, a commonality engendered by so many grappling with addiction. Genres: Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Americana. All rights reserved.PopMatters is wholly independent, women-owned and operated. Junior's narrative reestablishes addiction's cyclicality with references to being in eighth grade and "you spiked the Gatorade / And it was all for, for the weekend" as heard in "Left for Denver". It’s an amazing record! Although it is heavy with both emotion and story, it is far from a flawless album. While built around an interesting concept, the product ultimately leaves more to be wanted. It’s simple, yet complex, lyrics are very touching and clever, music is top notch, you cannot skip a song. This theme continued with their second album in 2016, which was partly inspired by an eccentric taxi driver, the titular “Cleopatra,” whose life story had a profound effect on the band’s lead singer Wesley Schultz. At first, "Gloria" sounds misplaced, but in actuality, the song aptly depicts the psychological contours associated with addiction. The theme of isolation is revisited in the melancholic "My Cell". It was a momentous undertaking, but not one that Schultz and Fraites necessarily intended to attempt with this album. Jimmy is an abuser, chronic gambler, alcohol, and pill addict. From just listening to the album, some listeners might be able to mitigate the weight of the Spark's addiction. Isolating a song like this from the rest of the album makes one realize just how disappointing many of the tracks are alone. In III, the Lumineers tackle addiction emphatically, from a very deeper place inside heart. Over the course of his three songs, Junior comes to the bitter realization that he should not be idolizing the members of his family that have fallen into the hands of alcoholism. Lens to Donna 's narratives when it 's established she `` always the... Examines the effects of addiction across the fictional Sparks family stumble through a harsh life, meeting,. Present a self-assured sound that seems to demand consideration as the new classics! 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