The album is accompanied by a short film, scenes from which also double as music videos. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. Directed by Kevin Phillips. 22. The Lumineers’ III is a visual exploration of the band’s third and latest album. Gloria, based on Wesley Schultz's family member, is ravished by alcoholism. The album opens with the eponymous "Donna", the mother to the main character, Gloria Sparks. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. 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. Both women are defined by periods of mania followed by inactivity, all extenuated by heavy drinking and dangerous behavior. 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The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the … 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. III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. Now, The Lumineers have blown that formula of catchy inoffensiveness to pieces. Indeed, they mostly earn some semblance of that title. One of the best album contenders for 2019. Junior is positioned as a character that demands empathy when he laments "Fate has dealt me a lonely blow" in "Leader of the Landslide". As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. We are moving to WordPress and a new host, but we really need your help to fund the move and further development. This multigenerational tale of woe follows a family that is, at its core, extremely dysfunctional. Genre: Folk Pop. ... 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. 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. They take the stringed sensibilities and emotional sensitivities of Americana music and, somehow, make it feel like Top 40/ mainstream radio. Is Christian Petzold's 'Undine' Myth or Therapeutic Dialogue? SHARES. Yet the visual representation demands the viewer bear witness to the family's trauma. The first chapter of the album’s story deals with Gloria Sparks, the alcoholic matriarch of the Sparks family. At first, "Gloria" sounds misplaced, but in actuality, the song aptly depicts the psychological contours associated with addiction. That said, most of the songs maintain a decidedly hollow-eyed sound, one that requires the listener to lean in and patiently wait for the songs to reach a crescendo. It was a momentous undertaking, but not one that Schultz and Fraites necessarily intended to attempt with this album. Schultz's voice is again harrowing as he repeats, "My cell / My pretty little cell / All alone." The image of a deserted child is frequently re-emphasized in the music video. III and the accompanying music video are culturally important points of contact with the realities of addiction. Music Reviews: III by The Lumineers released in 2019 via Decca Records. Share Tweet. On their third album, “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. Lumineers co-founder Jeremiah Fraites said "This collection of songs worked out in a beautiful way, and I feel with this album we've really hit our stride." Rated #1249 in the best albums of 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. While the Sparks family of the album is fictional, the concept is rooted in the band members’ real-life struggles with cyclical addiction. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. What III does accomplish very effectively is showing us the consequences of a parent’s addictions on his or her children. Shop Vinyl and CDs and complete your The Lumineers collection. The complexity associated with addiction and those suffering from the disease is so vast, lesser musicians would shy away from undertaking the subject. Many stunning songs from their self-titled first album, which projected them into the center of the indie music scene in 2012 with the hit single “Ho Hey,” are stories at their core. The album ends with the track "Salt and the Sea" avowing addiction as a disease rather than a problem of will. From just listening to the album, some listeners might be able to mitigate the weight of the Spark's addiction. But "Gloria" presents a facade; the buoyancy is akin to an addict's attempt at hiding their addiction with fabricated happiness. III is accompanied by a ten-part music video, essentially a short film, directed by Kevin Phillips, creator of Netflix's "Super Dark Times". The Lumineers have this uncanny ability to make folk songs sound like pop ones. The Lumineers’ latest record “III” is an ambitious third offering that has been rolling out in chapter-like EPs since May. Isolating a song like this from the rest of the album makes one realize just how disappointing many of the tracks are alone. There is no emotional reprieve in III. 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. In III, the Lumineers tackle addiction emphatically, from a very deeper place inside heart. The next three tracks focus on Gloria's grandson Junior Sparks, battling his challenges with dependency and mental illness. My favorite is not Gloria, the lead single, it’s Jimmy Sparks. On their third album, cleverly titled “III,” The Lumineers continue their tradition of storytelling on a much more ambitious, personal scale. The theme of isolation is revisited in the melancholic "My Cell". AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine [+] III is a prosaic title for a release as ambitious as the Lumineers ' third effort. 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. ‎The Lumineers: III (2019) directed by Kevin Phillips • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd Pretend It's a City Proves Once Again, You Can't Argue with Fran Lebowitz, Beauty and Horror in George C. 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Although it is heavy with both emotion and story, it is far from a flawless album. Throughout, Junior's longing is palpable, especially when he expresses the heartfelt plea for "a mother for the first time". III is a cerebral and disquieting portrait of addiction. Genres: Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Americana. But in the Lumineer's III, the band examines the effects of addiction across the fictional Sparks family. As Fraite explained in an interview with NPR, “With drug addiction or alcoholism it really affects the individual and then it has a sort of fallout effect — similar to the effects of a radiation bomb — over time and over years and years, it continually tends to affect people's loved ones.”, While “III” presents an interesting and personal concept, listeners still might find the album a little gimmicky. As such, the Lumineers offer a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of addiction's cycle. The Lumineers have told their own story in “III,” a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. The video, which screened as a whole at the Toronto International Film Festival, is fearless and authentic. 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. Album Review: The Lumineers – “III” Ryan Feyre September 19, 2019 For their latest album, The Lumineers follow the old adage of “three times’ a charm.” The project’s title is III … The Lumineers III album review The Lumineer’s third studio album titled III is not just a an album. 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.”. The jingly chords and catchy lyrics are unlike the rest of the album's bleak and minor-chord driven music. But III is a cinematic album undertaking a complicated subject. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about The Lumineers - III at Discogs. In the song “Leader of the Landslide,” he describes how Gloria “drank the whole bottle, forgot my name; all I ever wanted was a mother for the first time,” coming to the angry conclusion that “maybe when she's dead and gone I'll get some sleep.”, In the album’s third chapter, the cycle comes full circle: just as Gloria’s alcoholism ruined her relationship with her kids, her son Jimmy lets his alcoholism stand between his relationship with his son, Junior. As such, the Lumineers deliver the album with compassion and clemency. 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. Schultz's vocal delivery is emotive, thereby creating an affinity between musician, character, and listener. Share and discuss “Third time is not the charm on The Lumineers’ ‘III’” on social media. It’s evident how much thought, effort, and creativity went into creating this album. Buy The Lumineers's album titled III. The concept album tells the story of a family dealing with alcoholism in three distinct acts, each featuring around three songs. The Lumineers foreshadow Junior's sorrowful existence in Donna's narratives when it's established she "always hated the name, Junior". 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. There are bands that can really pull off a powerfully bitter breakup song — The Lumineers, however, are definitely not one of those bands. Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. 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. As such, the album might seem inaccessible to some, schmaltzy to others. 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 Lumineers III — the band obviously likes their album titles short and to the point — maintains the group’s fondness for providing hushed melodies that quietly build, billow and then conclude with majesty and grace. It’s an amazing record! 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. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) September 13, 2019. Strangely, no song is particularly memorable between all the rough acoustic riffs and Schultz’s signature raspy vocals. And those consequences are never good. “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. Do we really enjoy silence? The Lumineers, “III” (Dualtone Music Group) Films, movies, television, books: They all tell stories that allow audiences to see glimpses of themselves. 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. Gone are the days of the Lumineers' pop-standards and monosyllabic earworms. After a more atmospheric sophomore album, any song from “III” would be right at home on The Lumineers’ self-titled debut. The Lumineers – III (Album Review) Posted at 09:57h aLfie vera mella cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Music reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments. I highly recommend both the album and short film III to anyone who likes The Lumineers, but especially to people who don’t really like or know much about them or their music, because this album is arguably their best yet, and this film truly enhances the experience of listening to the album. The narrative can be powerful at moments; however, the songs fall flat when divorced from the album’s overarching story. III, an Album by The Lumineers. The mania exhibited by Gloria and Donna reappears in Jimmy's pressured speech. The Lumineers have told their own story in "III," a 10-track concept album composed of three chapters that follows the fictitious Sparks family. III really captures that pain and struggle in a way that’s not negative, but rather empathetic and realistic at the same time. 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