The Americana band explores their bittersweet ‘Brightside’ with their fourth LP
The Lumineers are back with their latest album BRIGHTSIDE. The indie/folk band released their sophomore record last week, three years after their last album III, which was a gripping tale of addiction. BRIGHTSIDE takes a similar turn.
The album starts off with the self-titled track (can you guess the name?) — naturally one of the album’s singles. The leading track deals with substance abuse, as lead singer Wesley Schultz belts out “I could barely see your eyes, psilocybin in a hotel room. […] Losing every other friend, finding nothing in the afterlife.” Based on the lyrics, the substance happens to be mainly psychedelics and is a continual theme in the discography of The Lumineers.
The theme of substance abuse follows throughout the span of the album. The next song that falls on the topic is “WHERE WE ARE.” It compares life with years of addiction to drugs to the dazed and confused aftermath of a car crash, saying “Holding on a steering wheel and coming up for air…Driving in the rain…Calling out your name, where were are, I don’t know where we are, but it will be okay.” It’s bittersweet, delving more into the bitter than the latter, and this trope follows into the rest of the album.
While the majority of the album stays true to the roots of the band (some might even call it being safe), they have been keen to branch out and use hardware such as drum machines and synthesizers. A notable song is the penultimate track called “REMINGTON.” It starts off with a drum machine sequence that is reminiscent of Hall & Oates’s “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” and Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” which would most likely be a CR-78.
The finale of the album ends with “REPRISE”, a heartbreaking tale about an individual (hopefully not one of the band members), who is headed for their final chapter, most likely due to an overdose. The song’s protagonist is “headed for the lights” at the end of the tunnel, “headed for the brightside, baby, tonight.” Clearly, the lifecycle of this album is saddening but we can see a light at the end of the road, so we settle for a tragically bittersweet ending as the individual is at peace with their outcome.
As of now, BRIGHTSIDE’s songs have been collectively streamed nearly forty million times on Spotify in less than two weeks, which is no mean feat, considering The Lumineers have more than fourteen million monthly listeners. Clearly, the album’s bittersweet themes are ringing true to others as well. Unfortunately, they had to postpone a good chunk of their 2022 tour, which was originally intended to commence on Feb. 1. Currently, their tour is set to kick off on Feb. 24 in Nottingham, UK.
Score: 7/10
Trial track: “REMINGTON”
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