Brightside
| The Lumineers
Brightside
Brightside (stylised in all caps) is the fourth studio album by American indie folk band the Lumineers, released on January 14, 2022, through Dualtone and Decca Records. It was primarily produced by Simone Felice and David Baron. The album was preceded by the release of three singles: the title track, "Big Shot", and "A.M. Radio". -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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The Fire Note
Write about half a dozen more like that, and maybe you’d have a full album folk could celebrate but so far, The Lumineers have relied on the familiar feel and tone of their accessible folk/pop sounds and one has to wonder how long that will be enough.
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Vinyl Chapters
Although some songs don’t stand out as much as I was hoping, that doesn’t change the fact that Brightside is yet another great album from The Lumineers. All these years later, they have proven once again that they are one of the most real indie bands there is. They always have a vision and they always see it through.
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The Post
Even though the band was more emotional with their lyrics on this album, it's undeniable that “Brightside '' is not their best album. The songs are still great contenders and it’s overall a short, yet enjoyable album. Substantially, the new album does show some potential growth for the band and hopefully they keep up that potential for their future music to come.
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AllMusic
Most of the songs on Brightside have that same sense of scaled-down immediacy and it's 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.
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Commedia
“BRIGHTSIDE” contains some great tracks and some that are just mediocre. However, this album is an excellent addition to this band's discography and will leave fans excited for what the band comes out with next.
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Renowned for Sound
Brightside may be a short listen, but it is an affectionate listen, a stirring listen that was born out of simplicity. Though some songs may miss the mark (Remington and Big Shot), the album still feels emotionally relatable with dark moments humbled by persuasive beauty.
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The Breeze
“BRIGHTSIDE” shows promising growth for The Lumineers. While somewhat similar to their prior projects, it still expands their musical horizons. It also seems to have opened a door to the band creating future music that deviates even more from their normal sound, and if The Lumineers’ new musical direction is anything like this album, then their future looks bright.
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Slug Magazine
From its cover to its soft, dreamy production, BRIGHTSIDE not only makes for a perfect addition to the ongoing “Sunday reset” trend, but its singalong tracks and feather-soft acoustic touches feels a lot like sonic catharsis and very much like starting over.
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DGN Omega
In the past, The Lumineers have been incredible. Their albums were the type where you fell in love with every song, and if you’re lucky, you fell in love to the songs. I’m so critical of “BRIGHTSIDE” because I expected so much, and know the band is capable of creating world peace with their music. This time, however, they’re just average. I’ll continue to enjoy a couple of these songs like “ROLLERCOASTER”, but I’ll pass on the rest. There is a bright side to this album, but it was also as disappointing as a Hershey’s Kiss in an iPhone box.
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Belwood Music
Hopefully Brightside is just a bump in the road. Fingers crossed our main duo open themselves up to greater collaboration and rediscover some of the energy and ambition from previous records that feels so lacking here.
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Gigwise
Despite breaking out big-time in 2011 when 'Hey Ho' was absolutely everywhere, 2021 might have been the biggest year in The Lumineers' history. Blowing up on TikTok—as their track 'Ophelia' reached musical it-girl status—reintroduced the former indie-folk sweethearts to a new generation, and just in time for their entrance into a new era.
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The Charlatan
Instead of providing the long-awaited reprieve from the pandemic fans needed, The Lumineers provided a tale of capitalist greed—complete with four colours of vinyl to collect, bucket hats and a brand new logo.
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The Upcoming
The album’s poetic and compelling music and lyrics are clearly intuitive while simultaneously superbly and skilfully composed. Thought-provoking, soul-stirring and slightly nostalgic, Brightside is also positive and hopeful.
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AP News
The Lumineers shine on “BRIGHTSIDE”.
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mxdwn Music
The album, therefore, is a cohesive and positive take on the folk-rock genre. With the grim turn that many rock bands have turned to as a result of the pandemic, it is admirable that The Lumineers have branched out of their comfort zone to create something that reflects a look to a brighter future. While there might be some weaker songs, the production and vocal performances of Brightside make the album worthy of note at the beginning of the third year of this era in which we live.
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The Rice Thresher
“BRIGHTSIDE” is a hope-filled folk rock album that utilizes electric elements and other new stylistic elements for the group to lead to an enjoyable and satisfying album.
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The Reflector
Cohesively, the album is beautifully captivating, with strong moving lyrics and catchy instrumentals to match. It’s no wonder why The Lumineers can continuously create hits and leave fans impatiently waiting for new music and hoping for longer albums.
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The Indiependent
This collection of songs is poetically beautiful and hopeful however it has a hint of melancholy running throughout. The Lumineers defined their signature sound on their previous albums such as Cleopatra and their self-titled LP and this latest offering shows how they’ve mastered their craft and only built on it.
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AMPS & 808s
Even in these times, the new album from The Lumineers reminds us in all caps to always look on the 'Brightside' of life.
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New Delhi Times
The Lumineers may not have toured for “III” in 2020 as planned, but they chose to look on the bright side of a difficult situation, giving fans some playful tracks bristling with hopefulness as society peers forward to a life beyond the pandemic.
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