On family road trips, music choice can be a struggle. Someone wants country, someone wants pop and someone wants 80s. The Lumineers have always been one of the few things my family can actually agree on when it comes to music. In fact, my first concert was at their “Brightside” tour a few years ago. I may also have plans to see them again this summer, but I do wonder how well this new album will translate to a concert venue.
“Automatic” is The Lumineers’s latest album, released on Valentine’s Day this year. Don’t let the release date on the day of love fool you: this is not necessarily the album I’d recommend slow dancing to with your significant other. The alternative folk-rock band primarily centered around Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites is known for hits like “Ho Hey,” “Cleopatra” and “Ophelia,” but time will tell if any of their newest work will join the old hits.
“Same Old Song” is one of the fastest tracks on the album and is therefore the most likely contender to join previous bops on the radio and as a concert highlight. The instrumental employs more techno than The Lumineers tend to use, which is one of the first signs that they are branching out from their usual brand. “Same Old Song” is the first track and the beginning of the overarching story of the album, which is seemingly about moving on from a previous unworkable relationship. It marks the first realization that nothing seems to be changing.
“Asshole” is the second song and my personal favorite from “Automatic” for its “Dead Sea” vibes. I would highly suggest listening to “Dead Sea” afterwards so you don’t end up sucked in by self deprecation. “Automatic,” the titular song, was slower than I would expect and, frankly, a bit disappointing. The storyline continues to “You’re All I Got” where there is a clear sense of holding on to something that simply does not work anymore. The trend of edgier tones and lyrics continues to be a staple of “Automatic,” but doesn’t necessarily make the album better. After all, “Plasticine” was about as interesting as real modeling clay.
The Lumineers give us a more upbeat track with “Ativan,” where the positive tone is eerily contrasted with the rest of the album and portrays the mindset of someone who isn’t fully sober. “Keys on the Table” is essentially the second half to “All I Got” where the story finally starts to accept that the relationship in the story is unsalvageable. “Better Day” shifts towards hope, an idea that continues through the instrumental track “Sunflowers.”
The album ends with “So Long,” where severance from the past finally takes place. This song is fraught with biblical allusions, which makes me wonder if The Lumineers were inspired by a faith crisis rather than a physical relationship. This track may just end up on one of my playlists.
Overall, I would say that The Lumineers have tried to branch out of their comfort zone, but time will tell if that was a good idea. I do not personally prefer the edgier tone that “Automatic” takes, but I think after a few more listens I will become a bigger fan. Everyone should definitely give the album a whirl, whether you are new to The Lumineers or have been a fan for over a decade. Whatever you decide to do, try to take away the lesson that sometimes we all have things that we need to move on from in order to grow in our own lives. Change does not come automatically (laugh here) to us, but maybe it is best to step out and try something fresh.
