The underpinnings of addiction are impossible to identify. After a more atmospheric sophomore album, any song from “III” would be right at home on The Lumineers’ self-titled debut. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. facebook 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. ‎The Lumineers: III (2019) directed by Kevin Phillips • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd The Lumineers foreshadow Junior's sorrowful existence in Donna's narratives when it's established she "always hated the name, Junior". As such, the Lumineers offer a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of addiction's cycle. The Lumineers’ latest record “III” is an ambitious third offering that has been rolling out in chapter-like EPs since May. 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. The independent news organization of Duke University. The subsequent "Life in the City" and "Gloria" shifts the lens to Donna's daughter Gloria Sparks. If this were released in the 70’s, it would have topped the charts for weeks. While also not connecting with the overarching narrative and theme, it carries a strange sentiment for what sounds like a lighthearted acoustic number. 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. 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". Take, for example, the song “It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy for You,” from the album’s especially shaky second chapter. Share and discuss “Third time is not the charm on The Lumineers’ ‘III’” on social media. The Lumineers’ III is a visual exploration of the band’s third and latest album. The Lumineers have always had a knack for narrative songwriting. What III does accomplish very effectively is showing us the consequences of a parent’s addictions on his or her children. III really captures that pain and struggle in a way that’s not negative, but rather empathetic and realistic at the same time. Share Tweet. From just listening to the album, some listeners might be able to mitigate the weight of the Spark's addiction. III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about The Lumineers - III at Discogs. The … The Lumineers have this uncanny ability to make folk songs sound like pop ones. 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. His life is defined by suffering, violence, and mental illness. My favorite is not Gloria, the lead single, it’s Jimmy Sparks. Directed by Kevin Phillips. 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. It’s simple, yet complex, lyrics are very touching and clever, music is top notch, you cannot skip a song. III is accompanied by a ten-part music video, essentially a short film, directed by Kevin Phillips, creator of Netflix's "Super Dark Times". Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. The Lumineers have told their own story in "III," a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. 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. 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. Subscribe to our weekly email about what's trending at Duke. 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. The narrative can be powerful at moments; however, the songs fall flat when divorced from the album’s overarching story. Do we really enjoy silence? 10/10 In III, the Lumineers tackle addiction emphatically, from a very deeper place inside heart.  twitter. The Lumineers III album review The Lumineer’s third studio album titled III is not just a an album. As such, the album might seem inaccessible to some, schmaltzy to others. Schultz's vocal delivery is emotive, thereby creating an affinity between musician, character, and listener. 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. 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. The tale is grounded. The concept album tells the story of a family dealing with alcoholism in three distinct acts, each featuring around three songs. The album opens with the eponymous "Donna", the mother to the main character, Gloria Sparks. While built around an interesting concept, the product ultimately leaves more to be wanted. 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. It’s a musical, artistic puzzle and short movie, all packaged into one. The next three tracks focus on Gloria's grandson Junior Sparks, battling his challenges with dependency and mental illness. 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. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) Posted at 09:57h aLfie vera mella cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Music reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments. But III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. In III, they continue to make quietness and self-reflection feel like constant desires. The tale is grounded. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. The album is accompanied by a short film, scenes from which also double as music videos. Isolating a song like this from the rest of the album makes one realize just how disappointing many of the tracks are alone. Indeed, they mostly earn some semblance of that title. The Lumineers - Left For Denver (Part 6 Of 10) III is a concept album, based loosely on Schultz’s own family history. Released 13 September 2019 on Dualtone. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the … It’s an amazing record! AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine [+] III is a prosaic title for a release as ambitious as the Lumineers ' third effort. 22. 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. The fictional Sparks family stumble through a harsh life, meeting addiction, violence, misogyny and desperation along the way. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) September 13, 2019. 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. But "Gloria" presents a facade; the buoyancy is akin to an addict's attempt at hiding their addiction with fabricated happiness. 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. The mania exhibited by Gloria and Donna reappears in Jimmy's pressured speech. The album concludes with the narrative of Jimmy Sparks, Gloria's son, and Junior's father. 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 complexity associated with addiction and those suffering from the disease is so vast, lesser musicians would shy away from undertaking the subject. The album ends with the track "Salt and the Sea" avowing addiction as a disease rather than a problem of will. They take the stringed sensibilities and emotional sensitivities of Americana music and, somehow, make it feel like Top 40/ mainstream radio. The Lumineers, “III” (Dualtone Music Group) Films, movies, television, books: They all tell stories that allow audiences to see glimpses of themselves. 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 video, which screened as a whole at the Toronto International Film Festival, is fearless and authentic. The jingly chords and catchy lyrics are unlike the rest of the album's bleak and minor-chord driven music. “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. Genres: Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Americana. While the Sparks family of the album is fictional, the concept is rooted in the band members’ real-life struggles with cyclical addiction. There are bands that can really pull off a powerfully bitter breakup song — The Lumineers, however, are definitely not one of those bands. But in the Lumineer's III, the band examines the effects of addiction across the fictional Sparks family. The Lumineers present a self-assured sound that seems to demand consideration as the new folk classics. ... 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. There is no emotional reprieve in III. 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.”. And those consequences are never good. 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. Strangely, no song is particularly memorable between all the rough acoustic riffs and Schultz’s signature raspy vocals. Music Reviews: III by The Lumineers released in 2019 via Decca Records. 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. At first, "Gloria" sounds misplaced, but in actuality, the song aptly depicts the psychological contours associated with addiction. Now, The Lumineers have blown that formula of catchy inoffensiveness to pieces. It was a momentous undertaking, but not one that Schultz and Fraites necessarily intended to attempt with this album. 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. The album opens with the eponymous " … Junior is positioned as a character that demands empathy when he laments "Fate has dealt me a lonely blow" in "Leader of the Landslide". 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