The Lumineers’ “III”: Dark and Delightful

While many songs on The Lumineers’ new album, “III,” initially sound happy, the lyrics and accompanying music videos tell stories of addiction and substance abuse, with all the raw emotion and feelings surrounding it.

While “III” is a fitting name, considering it’s the folk-rock band’s third album, the album itself is also split into three stories. All the tracks are accompanied by cinematic music videos which were stitched together and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. These films are jokingly called the “Lumineers Cinematic Universe,” or “LCU,” by fans online.

Even without the corresponding short films, this album shows off The Lumineers’ innate ability to tell emotional, gritty stories with music.

The album’s first chapter focuses on the tragic tale of Gloria Sparks. In the song and music videos, Sparks struggles with a serious alcohol addiction. In the first song, “Donna,” Wesley Schultz, the lead singer, sings that, after having a baby boy, Sparks “couldn’t sober up to hold a baby.” The first chapter closes with “Gloria,” a vibrant song that dives deeper into the addiction’s effects on Sparks and those around her. While Gloria Sparks is not a real person, Schultz has said Sparks is based on a real person.

The album continues with two more shocking stories about Junior and Jimmy Sparks, Gloria Sparks’ son and grandson. These stories show how addiction and its effects often occur in a cyclical manner.

Besides the deep and meaningful lyrics, this album will musically please Lumineers fans. The album features the band’s coffeehouse feel and Schultz’s haunting vocals draw listeners into the tragic stories of the Sparks family. Song lyrics hearken back to previous Lumineers albums and are strikingly poignant. Jeremiah Fraites’ melancholy piano gives the listener a feeling of longing and sets the mood for the serious subject.

“III” is a visual, musical and lyrical masterpiece that aims to shed light on a darker part of society and does so powerfully and beautifully.

—alek.nelson@aggiemail.usu.edu

@nelsonalek