Album Review: The Lumineers – Cleopatra
2 min read
It’s been a lingering 4 years, but Denver natives The Lumineers have finally resurfaced with new material, their highly anticipated sophomore release, Cleopatra. And it’s the home of 11 striking tracks, from delicate narratives, to haunting poems of songs; you’re truly in for a touching ride.
Aptly named title track Cleopatra is the perfect taste of the material that makes up this new LP, with it’s slow building beat, infectious chorus and an intriguing tale, each of its elements plays a role in tracks to come. Take the incredibly smooth, and even catchier, Ophelia, crooning, “Ophelia, you’ve been on my mind girl since the flood.” / “Ophelia, heaven help a food who falls in love.” And then, striping back the padding, Gun Song, Angela and Sick In The Head feature a poem-like quality to them, with nothing but a simplistic combination of melody and beat as the backing for the vocals. While these don’t necessarily make an immediate impact like some of the higher tempo tunes, their lyrical quality more than makes up for it once you delve deeper.
The entire album is truly a stunning journey; from the bold opener Sleep On The Floor to the subtle piano melody closer Patience (and it’s one that’s made all too easy to loop back and live again forevermore). Each track was created with a stunning passion, with every lyric feeling deeply personal, as narratives are turned into striking songs, and it’s impossible not to be drawn in. The Lumineers delicately assert such an aesthetically pleasing nature with their music, with humility in their song writing and an air of timelessness in their melodies, Cleopatra proves that this Denver trio haven’t lost their touch.
