Apr 03, 2016
The Lumineers have a timeless quality in each guitar strum, piano chord, and drum beat that has allowed the band to become as popular as it is. The platinum-selling Denver trio has finally returned to the music world with second album Cleopatra - the long-awaited follow-up to the multi-Grammy-nominated self-titled debut. This new album has been four years in the making - with help from producer Simone Felice of The Felice Brothers, The Lumineers settled into Clubhouse Recording Studio in rural Rhinebeck, New York near Woodstock. Before officially recording the new album, however, lead vocalist Wesley Schultz describes how the band took the same approach as with the first album and recorded demos in a small house in Denver. More background on the band can be found in our study of The Lumineers.
Cleopatra was inspired by the years spent on the road while The Lumineers were playing their way around the world. The length taken to create the album in and of itself is impressive because it shows that the members of the band are not taking their good fortune with their debut for granted, but are instead taking as long as they need to produce an album that is as worthwhile as the last. This allows for their skill of gracefully setting a visual story to music to emanate throughout their work.
From only the first 10 seconds of the opening song "Sleep on the Floor," listeners are swept up by the warm, familiar sounds that are quintessentially what makes up The Lumineers. Next is the compelling single "Ophelia" that has been drifting through the Internet for the past couple of months. With its syncopated piano rolls and instantly catchy chorus, "Ophelia" is a standout track. It seems that both this song and the title track "Cleopatra" are named after two tragic female characters in Shakespeare's plays, a theme that I thoroughly appreciate within the album.
The third (and title) track on the album continues to prove that The Lumineers have kept their sound more or less consistent since the first album. According to the band's website, "Cleopatra" came about from "an encounter with a taxi driver Wes met in the Republic of Georgia, who related a tale of personal tragedy without a trace of self-pity.” This song is one of my personal favorites due to its contemplatively tragic storytelling and deceptively simple soundscape.
As you may expect, the rest of the album continues to produce that trademark sound the band is famous for. Other great songs include "Angela," "In the Light," and "Gale Song." These tracks take on thoughtful guitar strums, melodic piano chords, and characteristic tribal drums. All in all, Cleopatra was able to bring the sound that made The Lumineers a breakout band in the first place, but also took it one step further. By taking the time to artfully craft this sophomore album, The Lumineers inherently added a greater depth and longing than was present in the debut. This is something that is sure to excite longtime fans, and to also garner new ones.
Cleopatra is out April 8, and will be available for purchase on the band's website. Also, The Lumineers will begin their world tour the week after its release. Some tour dates are below, but the entire list of dates can be found in our tour announcement. Note that the dates with an asterisk are already sold out.
The Lumineers Tour Dates:
4/14 - Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy*
4/15 - Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands*
4/17-18 - Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre*
4/19 - Manchester, UK @Albert Hall*
4/24 - London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton*
4/27 - Paris, FR @ Le Trianon*
4/28 - Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique*
4/29 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg*
5/2 - Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
5/4 - Hamburg, DE @ Gross Freiheit 36
5/5 - Groningen, NL @ Bevrijdingsfestival
5/6 - Berlin, DE @ Admiralspalast*
5/8 - Stockholm, SE @ Berns
5/9 - Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
5/10 - Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Main Hall
5/21 - Houston, TX @ The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall*
5/22 - Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory*
5/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre*
5/27 - San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*
5/28 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
Image: The Lumineers