The album is accompanied by a short film, scenes from which also double as music videos. The Lumineers - Left For Denver (Part 6 Of 10) III is a concept album, based loosely on Schultz’s own family history. In III, the Lumineers tackle addiction emphatically, from a very deeper place inside heart. The album concludes with the narrative of Jimmy Sparks, Gloria's son, and Junior's father. Genre: Folk Pop. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. 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. Buy The Lumineers's album titled III. 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. Share and discuss “Third time is not the charm on The Lumineers’ ‘III’” on social media. Yet the visual representation demands the viewer bear witness to the family's trauma. 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 … While also not connecting with the overarching narrative and theme, it carries a strange sentiment for what sounds like a lighthearted acoustic number. III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. 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. The Lumineers have always had a knack for narrative songwriting. But in the Lumineer's III, the band examines the effects of addiction across the fictional Sparks family. The theme of isolation is revisited in the melancholic "My Cell". The independent news organization of Duke University. 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. 22. 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. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. 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, “III” (Dualtone Music Group) Films, movies, television, books: They all tell stories that allow audiences to see glimpses of themselves. To make art with a topic so painful, such as watching someone close to you battle alcoholism, is difficult. It’s simple, yet complex, lyrics are very touching and clever, music is top notch, you cannot skip a song. All rights reserved.PopMatters is wholly independent, women-owned and operated. We are moving to WordPress and a new host, but we really need your help to fund the move and further development. The Lumineers’ latest record “III” is an ambitious third offering that has been rolling out in chapter-like EPs since May. 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. The … The video, which screened as a whole at the Toronto International Film Festival, is fearless and authentic. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency.  twitter. The fictional Sparks family stumble through a harsh life, meeting addiction, violence, misogyny and desperation along the way. Isolating a song like this from the rest of the album makes one realize just how disappointing many of the tracks are alone. III is accompanied by a ten-part music video, essentially a short film, directed by Kevin Phillips, creator of Netflix's "Super Dark Times". 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. Schultz's vocal delivery is emotive, thereby creating an affinity between musician, character, and listener. There is no emotional reprieve in III. 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. Rated #1249 in the best albums of 2019. The Lumineers foreshadow Junior's sorrowful existence in Donna's narratives when it's established she "always hated the name, Junior". III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. The image of a deserted child is frequently re-emphasized in the music video. The Lumineers present a self-assured sound that seems to demand consideration as the new folk classics. 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. It’s a musical, artistic puzzle and short movie, all packaged into one. Is Christian Petzold's 'Undine' Myth or Therapeutic Dialogue? The Lumineers have told their own story in "III," a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. The mania exhibited by Gloria and Donna reappears in Jimmy's pressured speech. 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. What III does accomplish very effectively is showing us the consequences of a parent’s addictions on his or her children. The underpinnings of addiction are impossible to identify. 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. The narrative can be powerful at moments; however, the songs fall flat when divorced from the album’s overarching story. It’s evident how much thought, effort, and creativity went into creating this album. 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. facebook 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. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) Posted at 09:57h aLfie vera mella cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Music reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments. 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. ‎The Lumineers: III (2019) directed by Kevin Phillips • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. 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. With Anna Cordell, Nick Stahl, Charlie Tahan, Joshua Close. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the … 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. Strangely, no song is particularly memorable between all the rough acoustic riffs and Schultz’s signature raspy vocals. It was a momentous undertaking, but not one that Schultz and Fraites necessarily intended to attempt with this album. Shop Vinyl and CDs and complete your The Lumineers collection. AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine [+] III is a prosaic title for a release as ambitious as the Lumineers ' third effort. III, an Album by The Lumineers. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) September 13, 2019. But "Gloria" presents a facade; the buoyancy is akin to an addict's attempt at hiding their addiction with fabricated happiness. The Lumineers’ III is a visual exploration of the band’s third and latest album. 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." Schultz's voice is again harrowing as he repeats, "My cell / My pretty little cell / All alone." 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.”. Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. This multigenerational tale of woe follows a family that is, at its core, extremely dysfunctional. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about The Lumineers - III at Discogs. 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. Both Gloria and Donna embody the intricacies of struggling with illness while fully illustrating the repercussions of alcohol dependency. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. 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. Directed by Kevin Phillips. The album ends with the track "Salt and the Sea" avowing addiction as a disease rather than a problem of will. Music Reviews: III by The Lumineers released in 2019 via Decca Records. 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. While built around an interesting concept, the product ultimately leaves more to be wanted. The album opens with the eponymous "Donna", the mother to the main character, Gloria Sparks. ... 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. They take the stringed sensibilities and emotional sensitivities of Americana music and, somehow, make it feel like Top 40/ mainstream radio. My favorite is not Gloria, the lead single, it’s Jimmy Sparks. Jimmy is an abuser, chronic gambler, alcohol, and pill addict. The complexity associated with addiction and those suffering from the disease is so vast, lesser musicians would shy away from undertaking the subject. From just listening to the album, some listeners might be able to mitigate the weight of the Spark's addiction. SHARES. Now, The Lumineers have blown that formula of catchy inoffensiveness to pieces. 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. Do we really enjoy silence? As such, the Lumineers offer a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of addiction's cycle. After a more atmospheric sophomore album, any song from “III” would be right at home on The Lumineers’ self-titled debut. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. Take, for example, the song “It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy for You,” from the album’s especially shaky second chapter. Both women are defined by periods of mania followed by inactivity, all extenuated by heavy drinking and dangerous behavior. PopMatters have been informed by our current technology provider that we have to move off their service. III really captures that pain and struggle in a way that’s not negative, but rather empathetic and realistic at the same time. The jingly chords and catchy lyrics are unlike the rest of the album's bleak and minor-chord driven music. Indeed, they mostly earn some semblance of that title. In III, they continue to make quietness and self-reflection feel like constant desires. “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. Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. 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 first chapter of the album’s story deals with Gloria Sparks, the alcoholic matriarch of the Sparks family. 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. On their third album, “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. The album opens with the eponymous " … Donna is a woman battling alcoholism and mental illness. 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. But III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. As such, the album might seem inaccessible to some, schmaltzy to others. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. Throughout, Junior's longing is palpable, especially when he expresses the heartfelt plea for "a mother for the first time". The Lumineers III album review The Lumineer’s third studio album titled III is not just a an album. There are bands that can really pull off a powerfully bitter breakup song — The Lumineers, however, are definitely not one of those bands. Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. The concept album tells the story of a family dealing with alcoholism in three distinct acts, each featuring around three songs. The tale is grounded. 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