After almost a decade of toil, Colorado’s Lumineers broke through in 2012 when the luminous Ho Hey propelled their self-titled, Grammy-nominated debut album to transatlantic top-10 status.
Having seen the promised land, they’re reluctant to spoil the view and as a result they’ve become more ho-hum than Ho Hey. Much as nobody sounds like them, they’re repeating themselves: Cleopatra is more of the same echo-laden, sparse Americana, illuminated by Wesley Schultz’s remarkable voice which owes much to Marcus Mumford.
Their refusal to progress is further stymied by an unimaginative production which makes Gale Song and Long Way From Home sound unfinished, but they have their moments, particularly on the oomph-laden title track and the veiled threat of Sleeping on the Floor.
Whether they’re in it for the long haul remains to be seen.
(Decca)