By: Sydney Armstrong
The Lumineers’s fifth studio album Automatic made its debut last month, marking the band’s 20-year musical journey. Consisting of 11 songs, the album displays a raw and spontaneous approach to their music.
Throughout the album, three key tracks stood out significantly. Starting strong with the track “Automatic” which features a sorrowful approach to a dynamic love. Throughout the song, there is a constant melancholy piano rhythm featuring Wesley Schultz’s raspy yet emotional voice. Lyrics such as “Oh lover is it ever going to be enough?” and “Take your victory lap, running on an empty lap,” depict the song’s direct, sentimental meaning.
The track “Ativan” has an uplifting beat that focuses solely on the acoustics throughout the song. The lyric “If I can’t make you happy then nobody can, your sweet Ativan,” is the main chorus. Ativan is a drug commonly used to treat anxiety and other conditions. The drug is classified as a benzodiazepine, which can be abused and lead to addiction. This leads directly into the next verse, “I’ll provide the poison and the medicine, the only thing you’re ever going to need.”
The harmonious track and the lyricism make you question the reality of prescription drugs and our reliance on them to help us. They can be both our relief and our downfall.
The Track “Plasticine” tells the story of turning yourself into something you are not to please others. “Plasticine, I can bend me into anything you need,” is followed by, “self-assured with a team of writers just behind the door,” which explores the face we put on knowing there are other reasons behind the image we portray. “Welcome to this party,” is used throughout the song to introduce us to the reality that many of us become someone we are not to look a certain way and uphold an image.
Whether you are a music fan or not, the album takes listeners through a whirlwind of emotions. With profound lyricism and acoustics, The Lumineers continue to impress us in their musical journey. I recommend giving it a listen.