When it comes to recording music, simplicity is such a difficult thing to achieve. Trust me, I've been in a studio laying down layer after layer of vocals, guitars, pianos, synths, bass, drums, additional percussion elements, utilizing aux sends, busses, parallel compression and the like. And while you're doing it, you feel like every layer is summing up to something bigger and better than it would have been with a guitar and vocal. And sometimes, you're just plain wrong about it.
That's why I love the Lumineers. Their no-frills production techniques are so raw and stripped down that you get straight to the meat of the song...the lyrics and melody. And this song has both in spades. You can hear lead singer Wesley Schultz's angsty-yet-folksy roots in his acoustic Americana anthems like "Stubborn Love", "Gloria", and "Ho Hey". But this song opens the door to a new era for the Lumineers that sees the introduction of a simply strummed rhythm electric guitar. It's beautifully recorded, simply played, and doesn't significantly alter the feel or tone of the music. This isn't the Bob Dylan electric experiment, this is a welcome addition to a nearly perfect ensemble that has produced 3 of the best folk rock albums over the past decade.
I also love how Schultz has declared his love for Tom Petty on more than one occasion. I can hear the influence in nearly every vocal line he sings. It's a different style, but I love that connection.
Try it on for size, you just might like it!
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The song mentioned in this article, and all entries into my Song of the Moment series, can be found as a public playlist on Spotify. Check it out!
