III’rd Time’s the Charm

The Lumineers do not pull any punches with their third album, delivering what might be their most raw and honest album yet. Split up into three parts, it tells the tragic story of frontman Wesley Schultz’s extended family that covers the lives of characters Gloria, Jimmy, and Junior Sparks. The album opens with Gloria’s story, a tale about a mother whose alcoholism and depression lead her down a path of darkness from which she can never recover. The second and third portions follow Jimmy (Gloria’s son) and his son Junior as they navigate the complicated relationship between an addict father and his struggling son.

While the album was released through three mini-EPs, the album itself is incredibly consistent in terms of tone, lyrical content, and overall sound. Using only a few acoustic instruments, the band sifts through seemingly limitless possibilities of musical combinations, and each song has its own unique spin on their traditional, folk sound. Piano-heavy songs like “Donna” and “April” are contemplative and slow, while songs like “Gloria” and “It Wasn’t Easy to be Happy for You” use fast-paced acoustic guitars to drive the album forward. This contrast helps to further portray the ups and downs in the life of the family with regards to their drug problems, marital issues, death, and more.

The album is a refreshing diversion from most new music today, straying far from the skidding high hats, thumping bass, and high-energy hip-hop and pop music of late. Sticking to their roots is what got The Lumineers this far, and they don’t appear to be giving that up anytime soon. While the Lumineers shine with this formula for the most part, at times it can become a bit too predictable and boring. When this happens, the Lumineers use their lyricism to keep things fresh.

Fresh is a good word to describe this album because at its core, it’s different from the rest of the band’s other projects, or at least more different than usual. When compared to The Lumineers’ previous efforts, “III” is both very similar and strikingly unique. Unlike their self-titled album and “Cleopatra,” “III” doesn’t really have any singles that will get stuck in your head for weeks. While the melodies are still good, this album is more focused on heavy-hitting storytelling than creating catchy tunes. The vocals of the band also sound rawer than usual on the album, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your tastes. While it sounds more emotional and intimate at times, the lead vocals are occasionally flat, which can take you out of the listening experience. For the most part, however, all the band members play their parts well.

Lyric and story-wise, this album is nearly unparalleled by anything I’ve ever heard. The lyrics are depressing, heavy, and thought-provoking while maintaining an enjoyable rhyme and flow that relate to the storyline in an interesting way. In the first song of the album, The Lumineers sing “you couldn’t sober up to hold a baby.” The band croons lines like these throughout the album, adding weight and depth to the already deeply saddening narrative. As the story progresses, the connections between the characters deepen and the situation they are in becomes more real. Each character in the album is trying to escape their fate in one way or another, but the ways they go about it are what fleshes out the characters’ morals and motives. Gloria runs away from her family when trouble hits and abandons her son when times get hard. Jimmy escapes his reality through drugs, alcohol, and sex, and when it all catches up to him, there ends up being no way out. There is a flicker of hope in Jimmy’s son Junior, who ends up leaving the family at the end of the narrative, forging his own path for the future. Will he escape the cycle of drugs and abuse, or will he fall back in line?

One of the things that adds to the richness of the story the most are the visuals. For this project, each song on the album has a unique video that tells the interconnected story. This over 45-minute long “film” details the lives of the three protagonists and gives us an even deeper insight into the lyrics and the overarching storyline of the album. The Lumineers made the most of their small budget, producing a film that is skillfully made and packed with symbolism and hidden messages that lurk just beneath the surface. Standout videos like “Donna,” “Jimmy Sparks,” and “Leader of the Landslide” capture your attention and wrench your heart without any big special effects or editing tricks. The interactions between the characters in the videos are enough to keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat throughout the production.

Overall, the Lumineers have crafted a body of work that is powerful, vulnerable, and raw. “III” differs in many ways from the previous works of the band while still staying true to their folk roots. “III” is far from a perfect album, but it is the quintessential Lumineers and is as close as we will probably get to their truest forms as artists. It feels like this was the album they’ve been waiting to make, and now that they’ve made it, it’ll be interesting to see where they go next.

Overall Score: 7.75/10
Best Songs: “Donna,” “Jimmy Sparks,” “My Cell”