Last winter, I had the pleasure of going to see one of my all-time favorite bands, The Lumineers. This experience was a long time coming, as I have loved them ever since I heard “Ho Hey” on the radio back in 2012. Now, keep in mind, I was seven when that came out, but I fell in love with the band and haven’t looked back since. My favorites have definitely rotated a few times, but there are a handful that always seem to make their way back up to the top.
Starting with number five: “Dead Sea.” “Dead Sea” is track number four on their debut album, The Lumineers, which came out in 2012. This song is one of my favorites because of the message it sends. You are automatically led to think that the singer is being compared to the Dead Sea in a poor way. It isn’t until the lyric “You told me I was like the Dead Sea. You told me you would never sink when you are with me” that you understand, as the listener, that it is a truly romantic love song. A love song about how another person can act as your support, your stability, and prevent you from sinking.
The next song is “A.M. Radio.” “A.M. Radio” came out in 2022 with the Brightside album. It is the second track on the album (perfectly placed in my opinion). The song starts out with a simple acoustic guitar melody before being joined by lyrics. The lyrics are easy to sing along to but also have a balance with emotion. This song and album brought a “new” Lumineers sound but brought it well, and I fell in love with this song.
Moving right along to song number three: “Slow It Down (Live).” “Slow It Down (Live)” comes from the album The Lumineers (Deluxe Edition), which came out in 2012. You may ask, does the live version really make a difference? The answer is yes, yes it does. While the lyrics tell a story about broken relationships and trying to fix what went wrong, the song just does something for me. It’s one of those that you need to listen to understand where I am coming from.
These last two are extremely close for me. It was hard to choose and tomorrow, it could be different.
Number two is “My Eyes,” off of the album Cleopatra (Deluxe Edition), released in 2016. The song immediately starts with an amazing acoustic chord progression that leaves you speechless for the rest of the song. The whole album tells a story, and this song is the cherry on top. The constant repetition of “What did you do to my eyes?” is a haunting question that persists throughout the whole song. This is another song that you have to hear to understand.
And finally, my favorite song (at the moment). My number one song is “Gale Song,” which is also on Cleopatra (Deluxe Edition). While this song may not fit perfectly with the story that is told on Cleopatra, it deserves its place. The song shows themes of reflection, longing, and regret. Again, the prominent guitar in the beginning that keeps building and building throughout the song is truly amazing (another one you need to listen to).
Here are some honorable mentions the deserve a shoutout (in no particular order): “Sleep on the Floor,” “Where the Skies are Blue,” “White Lie,” “Ativan,” “Ho Hey” (obviously), and “Darlene.”