In the Spring of my junior year of high school, The Lumineers released their premiere self-titled album. Songs like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love” became anthems of the preceding summer as I sped through the country roads of Minnesota with my friends. I rolled the windows down, felt my hair whip my face and stick to my Bath and Body Works lip gloss, and screamed all the lyrics. I had never felt so cool. 

I mean, I was 17 years old and listening to indie-folk music. By association, all listeners of indie-folk music also sport an indie-folk essence, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. Nonetheless, I finished my high school career belting the righteous tunes of The Lumineers and waited for their next creation. Now, four years later, it is the spring of my junior year of college, and The Lumineers have blessed their plethora of adoring fans with another record.

“Cleopatra” was released April 8, 2016, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Though it shies away from the stomp-and-holler style of the band’s first album, “Cleopatra” is just as much a force as the woman it is named after. “Sleep On The Floor” opens the album with a subtle power. Lyrics like, “We might not make it out, I was not born to drown” carry a sense of desperation, but also a sense of hope and anticipation for the journey to come. Other favorites from the album include “Ophelia” and “Angela,” which comply with the focus on female names. With the selection of these names, the tunes immediately become enveloped in intimacy due to a more personal connection.

This is the major feat of the entire album: “Cleopatra” invites its listeners to experience the raw emotions of the music and lyrics with them. My dream would be to sit in a quiet tavern with a small group of my closest friends and breathe in the strong acoustics. Though this image is far from my driving-with-the-windows-down-thinking-I’m-the-best reality, it brings about the same sentiment: absolute euphoria.