The Lumineers

The Lumineers Decca ****

The LumineersDecca ****

Perhaps one way to interpret the new new folk is to hear it as a soundmirror of our social media-obsessed selves. When bands such as this Colorado three-piece throw out a song like Ho Hey, they need the chorus returned with interest. The music is personal but it is a personal to be shared. Indeed, the sharing is critical because this is when audience and act find common purpose.

That purpose is underlined by elemental instrumentation – guitar, cello and drums; in the manner in which songs of call and response become sites of collaboration and celebration; in the vernacularity of the thoughtful lyrics. Songs such as Slow It Down, Big Parade, Submarines and Stubborn Love reach out with conviction, and if they strike a Ryan Adams bell, then there are worse things they could do. thelumineers.com

Download tracks:Big Parade, Ho Hey