III: The Lumineers

III is the Lumineers third album that just released on Friday September 13th, 2019. This album has an interesting bit to it, in that it has 3 chapters detailing the lives of three people who are related to each other. Each chapter is released separately, building up to the final chapter. Ten music videos are also released over the span of April – September, one by one.

The first chapter is about Gloria Sparks, a mother who is an alcoholic and makes many regrettable decisions. She is also unfit to care for her son, Jimmy Sparks.

The second chapter is about Junior Sparks, Gloria’s grandson who is cared for by Jimmy Sparks, Gloria’s son. His mother leaves him as a child for Denver, as the song Left for Denver entails.

The third chapter paints the story of Jimmy Sparks, Junior’s father and Gloria’s son. His wife left him with Junior when Junior was a baby and he struggles to get by. He accumulates piles of debt from gambling and from trying to raise his son. He is also an alcoholic, just like his mother.

I really like III album because it not only asks you to listen to it but to also feel something from start to finish. III is also a cinematic movie(if you watch all the music videos together) and it depicts three generations of Sparks’ family and the crippling effects of addiction. In part 3/10 of the music videos, Gloria is seen carrying her husband to her car to get help as he is injured. She then runs away when the police arrives on the scene when they crash into a truck. Later in part 10/10 of the music videos, Junior Sparks is seen doing the same. He carries his dad into the car as he is injured. He also runs away when the cops turn up.

It makes you wonder, will he continue the cycle Gloria started? Will he too become an alcoholic?

The music videos are also an experience of its own. They were actually really good that the compilation of the videos made it to TIFF(Toronto International Film Festival).

So what are you waiting for? Go and watch them!