The Lumineers “Automatic” Album Review
Automatic (The Lumineers)
After twenty years of musical collaboration, The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz have grown up together, and their latest album, Automatic, reflects the growth and vulnerability the men have gained through their journeys into parenthood.
This album is both an exploration of self and a callback to their indie-folk-rock roots, and a reflection on the chaos of life.
There is plenty to love on Automatic for those chasing the high established by the band’s previous albums – such as the album’s titular track and “Plasticine” – and the lead single “Same Old Song,” which eases listeners in with the quintessentially Lumineers-style witty lyrics coupled with familiar, punchy, and upbeat drums and folk-inspired guitars reminiscent of the 2010s crowd-favourite “Ho Hey.”
But the real stars of this album are its piano-heavy tracks like “Asshole” and “Better Day.” These songs are filled with raw emotion and earnestness in their instrumentals, paired with tremendously self-effacing, unfiltered, and brutally honest lyrics that speak to the dichotomy of life in the post-pandemic age.
It is clear to anyone listening that Schultz and Fraites have grown not only as musicians but as men. Automatic is a delightfully bold album that shows off the magic two decades of collaboration can create.
Wesley Schultz (Left) + Jeremiah Fraites (Right) from ‘The Lumineers’ / Photo Credit: Noa Griffel