The Lumineers have remained consistent with creating excellent albums since it’s self-titled debut in 2012. The American folk rock group stepped out of the traditional structure of albums and created a unique three chapter cinematic masterpiece for its latest album, III.
The album follows the life of the Sparks family: Gloria, her son Jimmy and her grandson, Junior. The songs illustrate the destructiveness addiction can have on a family. Across the album, the lyrics are strong and visual, allowing the listener to truly feel and imagine the story. The band has also released music videos for each song to comprise a 10-part short film. So far, they have released six of the parts.
While it is extremely satisfying to listen to the album in order of the story-line, the songs stand on their own, and each is strong and remarkable in its own way.
The first song, “Donna,” introduces Gloria Sparks. Musically and lyrically, the song is absolutely beautiful. Next comes “Life In The City”, flowing perfectly into one another. Fans have been excited to hear the bridge is taken directly from the song “Sleep On The Floor” from its previous album, Cleopatra. Any long-time fans would most likely recognize and sing along to the bridge.
Moving onto the Junior Sparks chapter comes “It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You,” which illustrates first heartbreak. The song is simplistic but relatable to any listener who’s had a first love. Also within the chapter is “Leader Of The Landslide.” The track begins to show the trail of addiction through Junior’s abusive relationship with his father. The song is a lot to unpack but the execution is successful and leaves listeners hopeful Junior will break the chain of poor habits.
The feels truly start to hit during the Jimmy Sparks chapter of the album. “My Cell” is hauntingly beautiful, and it really hits home if you have ever gone through times where you just felt so alone. “Jimmy Sparks” has a unique sound in comparison to the rest of the album. The storytelling is perfect and ends the song with an extreme plot twist, furthering the notion that III isn’t just music but a movie. “Salt And The Sea” is pleasant to listen to because of the shift in the tone of voice throughout the song, especially in the refrain.
Overall, III is artistically beautiful. It’s the most raw and emotional out of all The Lumineers’ albums—listeners can relate and feel the pain and heartbreak. The Lumineers may have been breaking our hearts and putting them back together with each of its songs since 2012, but the group definitely never disappoints.
