Brightside

After the ambitious, darkly thematic song cycle III, Brightside comes as something of a tonal reset for the Lumineers. Embracing a more spontaneous approach, the Denver indie folk duo lets their ragged edges show on a record that values the raw creative spark above all else. Recorded during two sessions in upstate New York with returning producer Simone Felice and engineer/co-producer David Baron, Brightside sees bandmates Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites harnessing their core energy over nine tracks that are somehow fresher and more rough-hewn than anything theyd previously released. Take for example "Birthday," an appealingly loose folk-pop jaunt which pauses mid-song for a bit of off-the-cuff in-studio applause or "Never Really Mine," a raw midtempo banger that relies almost entirely on a rhythm electric guitar before building into a cathartic roar on its final chorus. Most of the songs on Brightside have that same sense of scaled-down immediacy and its a nice change from a band who, despite their minimalist format, have more or less existed as a stadium act over the previous decade. The easy melodic hooks that drew fans to the Lumineers in the first place remain, but the combination of stronger material and looser performances make for a strong fourth outing. ~ Timothy Monger

デンバーを拠点に活動するフォーク・ロック・グループによる約2年半ぶりのアルバムは元フェリス・ブラザーズのサイモン・フェリスなど複数のプロデューサーが参加した作品。初めて2人体制になり、弾き語り中心の極めてシンプルな内容だった前作の延長線上にある内容だが、今回の仕上がりはよりラフでセンチメンタル。野性味に溢れる彼らのヴォーカルも印象的で、男気に満ちたアメリカーナが堪能できる快作だ。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二