Cleopatra

Description

It took The Lumineers four years to follow up their self-titled debut album, which was nominated for several Grammy Awards. Cleopatra proves that Schultz and Fraites — along with cellist/singer Neyla Pekarek — do not take their good fortune for granted, nor do they rest on their laurels. With the help of producer Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers, The Avett Brothers), whom Wesley calls "our shaman," the band settled into Clubhouse, a recording studio located atop a hill in the countryside of Rhinebeck, New York, not far from Woodstock. The Lumineers then set out to make musical sense of their rollercoaster ride over the past three years. Their ability to set a visual story to music shines through amid delicate and deceptively simple acoustic soundscapes. This time, however, bassist Byron Isaac provides a solid low end on the apocalyptic opening track "Sleep on the Floor," a haunting song about leaving the city before "the subways are flooded [and] the bridges break." It’s a densely packed cinematic song that echoes Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City" and John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Cleopatra also addresses what Wesley calls "the elephant in the room," the band's success and how it can sometimes put a target on your back. The syncopated piano rolls in "Ophelia," the organic sound of fingers squeaking on guitar strings in "Angela," and the Faustian pact described in "My Eyes" consider the dangers of getting what you wish for, with everyone knowing your name and your songs. The band had complete artistic freedom in writing and recording the album, so Wesley and Jer pushed the boundaries. "We continue to make the kind of records we want," Wesley says. "We believe in this music. It's a true labor of love. We just want to keep reaching more people with our songs. Given the evidence on The Lumineers' second album, Cleopatra, that shouldn't be a problem."