By Christian Cullen, Staff Writer

While many lovestruck couples were celebrating Valentine’s Day, an old flame of our generation reappeared in our Spotify feeds: The Lumineers with their new album “Automatic.” Best known for their fantastic hits “Ho Hey” and “Ophelia,” they have admittedly faded a bit. The Lumineers had been relegated to playlists filled with our childhood hits or campfire songs. Prior to “Automatic,” their last album “III,” released in 2022. Suffice it to say, they could certainly have benefitted from a hit album. “Automatic” has its ups and downs.

“Automatic” starts out phenomenally. The first two songs, “Same Old Song” and “Assh*le,” strike a melancholy and angsty tone for the album. “Same Old Song” kicks off with a quick drum beat, portraying a narrator who just can’t get things right. The vocals hit that right note in concert with the beat and lyrics, giving the aesthetic of a teenage anthem for those who feel on the outs. 

“Assh*le,” in contrast to “Same Old Song” begins with a soft piano riff. Instead of social inadequacy, this narrator is dealing with a breakup. The piano gives rise to melancholic feelings. It is accompanied by a drumbeat, expressing a rise in frustration and anger in the narrator. The Lumineers use repetition, with the line, “First we ever met… you thought I was an assh*le.” The song closes with the narrator left feeling unresolved as they “still feel your shadow.” This song is a strong start to the album, which gives rise to an interlude.

However, the album just continues with the theme of angry narrators and angst. The issue is that musically, not a lot changes as the album progresses. Albums will obviously have a themes, style and production, but if you don’t mix things up, it just feels like 30 minutes of the same song. The album found its comfort zone then proceeded to not leave it. 

However, don’t completely write off the album.“You’re All That I Got” has some cool moments with higher-pitched vocals than the previous songs, really enforcing the loneliness and the sadness of the narrator. “Plasticine” is the song that carries the middle of the album, as the narrator in this song battles with their feelings about a relationship that seems to have changed them. They are “bent into anything you need,” but are still left in a bad spot. This song seems to be not about a romantic relationship, but from the perspective of a celebrity talking to their fans. 

“Keys on the Table” is one of the more interesting songs, as it seems to be a sequel to “You’re All That I Got,” but from the other perspective. The song affirms that “you’re all I got,” but from a different source—one of disgust, anger and sadness. There is another interlude with “Sunflowers,” which was a nice piano tune that sets up the final song of the album, “So Long.”

“So Long” continues and culminates the angst of the album. It’s a solid song and an appropriate goodbye. It is certainly well-placed in the album, and seems to be another example of the band talking to the audience. Lines such as “Everybody’s famous for a little while,” and a surprisingly religious-themed song give an air of reflection on their career. And thus the album ends with The Lumineers repeating, “So Long.” 

I am glad we did not just get a sequel to “Ophelia.” It would certainly be tempting for an act searching for a hit to just repackage the oldies-but-goldies under a new name to regain some prominence. These songs may not be or be radio anytime soon.

 Overall, “Automatic” is worth the listen, and a few songs will likely end up on your playlists. It is not a return to glory for The Lumineers, but rather an addition to a musical portfolio that has likely peaked.