I popped in my earbuds, took a breath and armed myself, ready to be transported to lonesome but soulful summers, nostalgia for a life never lived and the feeling of a cool mountain breeze on my face. I was prepared to listen to the new Lumineers album, “Automatic.”
Instead, I stayed firmly at my desk. Released on Valentine’s Day, I was expecting love songs, breakup songs and everything in between. Mostly, I was ready to feel. However, the lyrics, while deep, were diluted by off-putting structure and lackluster melodies. “Automatic” as a whole felt like a constant buildup, and in many of the songs when the beat would finally drop, you were left hanging with an empty chorus.
I am forever a sucker for songs that blend contemporary pop and classical sounds that wouldn’t be out of place in an orchestra. The aptly named track “Strings,” seemed perfect to scratch that niche itch. That’s until it started playing. The benign instrumentals could have come from any movie released in the last half century, and when the entire song is background music, it should at least make an impact.
Not all the songs are bland and unmemorable though. “Plasticine” and “Ativan” both tackle the unseen issues behind the happy-go-lucky folk artists that are The Lumineers. These tracks address struggles like drugs, burnout and loss of identity. However, while the lyrics are woven with ingenuity and history, they stay inanimate due to the lifeless beats.
“It’s background music,” said Summit sophomore Brighten Williams. “There are a couple [songs] that are really good. I really like “Sunflowers” and “You’re All I Got.” [It’s] chill music to listen to while you’re doing something and just enjoying life.”
Though some songs catch your attention with a strong beat, reminiscent of the folksy, passionate era of the Lumineers’ “Cleopatra” album, “Automatic” builds up to nothing. It’s as if you’re on a roller coaster, the steady click click click in your ears as you rise to the top, but when you finally reach the peak, ready for the exciting drop, you’re left stuck on the kiddie coaster to nowhere.
While there are high points, like in the song “Ativan,” with the lyrical artistry of “on the bullet train to Neverland, your enemies with benefits, we’re free,” the jarring lack of musicality and rhythm bring the album down as a whole. Compared to their previous work, this album is disheartening. This disappointment could just simply be an effect of The Lumineers’ penchant for great music. It’s hard to clear a bar that’s set in the sky.
Compared to one of the most well-known Lumineers’ album, “Cleopatra,” which has 3,079,704,988 Spotify streams, “Automatic” comes in at only 43,605,212 streams. This is just 1.46% of “Cleopatra’s” stream count. While this can be attributed to the fact that “Cleopatra” has been around for nearly nine years, we can compare “Automatic” to another folk album released during the streaming age. Noah Kahn’s album “Stick Season” amassed 4,000,000,000 within its first month, which is 917.32% of “Automatic’s” stream count. Clearly, this new album is falling short compared to its peers.
Last year, The Lumineers made their Bend debut at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, touring their then-new album, “Brightside.” If you attend Summit, the odds are high that you or a friend went to the concert and the halls are still littered with “Brightside” merch.
“I saw them last summer at the amphitheater,” said Summit Sophomore Rynn Van Meter. “Listening to their music makes me feel like I’m on a road trip or adventure.”
The Lumineers are set to return again this summer, and students are ready. Once the weather warms up, they’ll break their hibernation and return to both our playlists and our stage.
Tickets sold out almost as soon as they were released, but if you manage to snag some from a reseller, warn your wallet. The cheapest seats, in the back grassy section of the amphitheater are retailing for $173, but if you’re feeling fancy, you can drop the big bucks at $470 per pit ticket. Another option is always floating the river and taking advantage of the fact that the concert falls during the peak of summer on Aug. 14.
So, even if “Automatic” falls quickly through the gaps of pop culture to be forgotten, the upcoming concert still has the makings of a fun summer night. Just think carefully before you drop your hard earned cash on tickets to hear a possibly forgettable, lackluster album.
