I was first introduced to The Lumineers when I was in middle and high school. And for years, after waiting for more releases, I figured the band was done releasing music. So imagine my surprise when I was scrolling on Spotify one day and was asked to pre-save their upcoming album... Automatic. I was so excited, and immediately asked to review this album when the time came. So, here we are. With 11 songs on its tracklist, Automatic has proven to be an incredible addition to The Lumineers' ever-growing repertoire.
tracklist
Same Old Song
Asshole
Strings
Automatic
You're All I Got
Plasticine
Ativan
Keys on the Table
Better Day
Sunflowers
So Long
Like many, I first came to know The Lumineers from their hit song, "Ho Hey", off their debut self-titled album, which was released in 2012. Then, in 2016, the band released its next album, Cleopatra. One of the most recognizable songs, which resurfaces on TikTok every few months, is "Ophelia". But aside frome these two hits, The Lumineers have so many incredible hit songs. And now, with the release of Automatic, there are 11 more to praise.
Same Old Song
Kicking off this album is "Same Old Song", which can be translated to "SOS". The song is essentially a cry for help, and explores the story of a struggling artist seeking answers and assistance. The song even opens with the artist asking their mom to pay their rent and crash in their basement. I think this song set a certain standard for the rest of the album; it was incredible. This was definitely one of my favorite songs I listened to today, because, in a way, I can relate to a lot of its themes. Struggling to find your way in the world? Finances and living situations making you wonder if you'll ever be able to support yourself? I have dealt with all of that, so I think this song was an incredible start to this album.
Asshole
Next, we have "Asshole", a song a little more raw and personal than the previous. It's about how we're perceived by others. In this specific example, how previous partners may view the narrator as an asshole... and the narrator acknowledges this in the lyric "First we ever met / You thought I was an asshole / Probably correct / But I can see your shadow." When it comes to relationships, I find that I'm always judging how I could be perceived by others. I can have a deadpan attitude, and I'm not always the easiest to get along with. But that doesn't mean I necessarily want others to agree with that. I think this song explored that feeling extremely well.
Strings
As for the next song, "Strings", it's an instrumental transitionary piece, so I don't have anything to go in-depth on with that song. But I will say this: it may only be 30 seconds long, but it packs a punch, and I consider it a beautiful way to transition to the next set of songs on the album.
Automatic
"Automatic" is the titular song on this album, and absolutely broke my heart listening to it. It's a reflection of the past and how we operate automatically in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes, we fail to recognize the disconnect we feel if we follow these routines all our lives. The repeated lyric, "Oh, my lover, is it ever gonna be enough?", deeply resonates with my own life. The feeling that in my life, I'm working on autopilot, and have no clue if or when I'll ever break free of that cycle... it's heartbreaking, and I feel this song captured that feeling extremely well.
You're All I Got/Keys on the table
Next up, we have "You're All I Got", a song that I feel is less about a romantic partnership than that of the lifelong friendship of Wesley Schultz and Jerimiah Fraites. Sure, it can be taken in a romantic sense, but I really want to highlight this other point of view. Throughout the song, the narrator sings about feeling bored in the life they've lived, and simply wanting to go back to the way things were. But despite this, they've always had their closest friend, and they do not want to give that friendship up. I've had few friendships like this... but with the ones I do have, I know I will have those people in my life forever.
Later in the album, there's "Keys on the Table". I wanted to cover these two songs together as they are directly connected in their meanings. If "You're All I Got" is about a lifelong friendship... "Keys on the Table" is about that friendship hitting a breaking point. It suggests the potential end of the friendship, and the worry that the other person is ready to give it up. We've all had friendships that have come to an end, but you worry that you feel invaluable to the other person. I feel this is perfectly represented in the lyrics, "Would you sell me out / At the first chance you get?", and, "And honestly, I feel ashamed to breathe / I can't believe we lost to the machine"
Plasticine
I'll be honest... I had no idea what plasticine was before listening to this song. But from what I was able to gather, it's the British word for a putty-like modeling clay. And now, listening to the lyrics behind "Plasticine", it makes infinitely more sense. From what I can interpret, the song is about changing who you are for others, and molding yourself to be someone you are not. We have all felt the pressure to conform to societal norms at some point in our lives... but by doing so, you lose what makes you special... you! Because how can you be authentic and unique if you change who you are to be like everyone else? It's a problem I've dealt with my whole life, even today, so I connected with this song a lot.
Ativan
Again, I had no clue what Ativan was until today. According to the Mayo Clinic, Ativan is a prescription drug used to help calm the mind and ease anxiety, like Xanax. Based on that, I can guess this song is about the allure of the drug, and how the narrator feels called to use it. Just check out this lyric from the chorus, "f I can't make you happy, then nobody can / Then nobody can, your sweet Ativan." It's almost as if the narrator feels that they will never feel normal unless he takes this drug. Addiction is not a new concept for the band, but I'll admit, I haven't really listened to a song that covers that theme like this one in a while, and I think it's very well done.
Better Day
With three songs left on this album, we now come to "Better Day"! At just under three minutes in length, the song is the perfect representation of today's society, and how we live in this chronically online universe, only existing to those when we like, comment, and share what we find on the internet. When things get rough, we want an escape from our reality... so we go online and drown ourselves in content that makes us forget about our day-to-day lives. The song even touches on the political side of our lives, with mentions of rubber bullets and pepper spray, weapons used often in protests and riots. The song repeats "Dreamin' of a better day"... and aren't we all?
Sunflowers
The penultimate song on this album is "Sunflowers", and it's another instrumental transition piece, preparing us for the album to come to an end. Personally, I liked how this album had these instrumentals to break up the tracks... some of the themes would have given me whiplash with how they move from theme to theme, so I'm glad we got another transitional piece to enjoy before diving into this final song.
So Long
Finally, we have come to the last song on this incredible album. "So Long" was released alongside "You're All I Got" ahead of the album's release, and covers themes of isolation and melancholy. Obviously, the band could have named the song "So Long" as a way to signify the end of the album... but I feel it has a deeper meaning than that. As someone who has suffered from depression for most of my life, I clocked immediately that numb feeling it gave off, and the fear of change that could lead you to a deeper state of dissonance. It was incredible, and, in many ways, the perfect ending to a perfect album.
Overall, I seriously loved this album. I feel it was beautifully written, and was the perfect way to ring in the next phase of the band's history. I think of all of the songs, "So Long" and "You're All I Got" are two songs that stuck with me the most, though every song on the album was unique in its own way. I don't know if The Lumineers will be releasing another album in the future, but I hope they do, because they still have a lot of talent to share with the world. If you haven't had a chance to check out Automatic yet, be sure to do so now! The album is streaming everywhere, and trust me... you're going to love it.
Written By Isabel Mays
*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.