Each week, a Globe-pal (AKA a DJ at 91.1 the Globe) takes a song of their choosing, and dishes out a healthy review to be sent out and posted on globeradio.org/music.
The Globe Track of the Week is an excellent way to keep up with the new tunes presented weekly on 91.1 the Globe, the best college radio station in Indiana.
New music went into rotation recently here at 91.1 The Globe and it has been like a breath of fresh air. One song that made me super excited was a new Lumineers song called Brightside. The Lumineers are probably best known for their folk acoustic sound and fun songs like “Hey, Ho” and “Ophelia”. I have never listened to the Lumineers religiously but I always enjoy their songs when I do. This new song surprised me when I first heard it, but for a good reason.
The opening of Brightside is electric, literally and figuratively. It opens with a simple drum beat quickly followed by an overdriven distorted guitar riff. The riff is heavy, not because of it being fast or a lot of notes, but simply because the guitar tone has a lot of weight to it. This riff gets stuck in your head very easily, it could almost be described as a counter melody just because it is so catchy.
The verse starts and the riff and the drums continue with raspy vocals cutting through. It is a beautiful singing tone, not crystal clear or without impurity, but it perfectly matches the choppiness and dirt of the guitar tone.
When the chorus hits, the drums drop out and a bass guitar is added with the guitar riff changing, switching into chords being strummed. It could be described as a breakdown as more voices add harmonies on the lead vocal. The chorus really hits with the dark lyrics of the verse being canceled out as the singer laments about how he can be his “baby’s brightside”.
Overall, this song captures a different feel than many other Lumineers songs. The instruments have changed into a more rock oriented sound, and a heavy guitar riff immediately lets you know the Lumineers are in a different mood. I really enjoy the song and think the band is going in a good direction with this new sound. It keeps the usual Lumineers dark lyrics but with new focus on how the band can grow. It’s a good example of people growing as musicians, even professional ones.
- Seth Smith Kauffman
