The Lumineers are back again with BIG SHOT
Words: Lucy Lebowitz
November 23 2021
Warm and wistful: get ready to be launched back into starry-eyed adolescence with this new track from the Lumineers
After a three-year hiatus and a world tour cut short due to the pandemic, the Lumineers are finally making their comeback, with 2 new singles released this fall and an album ready to hit the shelves in January. “BIG SHOT” was released on October 15th, following the September 20th release of “BRIGHTSIDE,” the debut single off of the new album.
You already know “BIG SHOT” is set to be a Lumineers classic from the introductory instrumental– the regular Lumineers vocals plus piano accompaniment (in lieu of the traditional acoustic guitar) is always a heavenly mix. The lyricism in this song is striking (albeit pointed and at times, problematic) from the start as well, with a subtle hint of good ol’ American imagery–yes, this is where it’s potentially problematic– they sometimes love to throw in (as previously heard on 2019’s “Democracy” and 2012’s “Big Parade”). The chorus is quite aspirational, a hope for a brighter future, with this subject yearning to be a “big shot”, to be grown and something more, to not disappoint their mother, and to become a success. The reference to having a “big gun” feels like a callback to one of their earliest songs, 2009’s “Gun Song.” This song truly does give early Lumineers, with a nostalgia reminiscent of their debut album. The lyrics, on the other hand, with this yearning for appreciation, to be the “chosen one your mother loved the most”, feels a lot like their last album, which was a concept album circulating around family and accompanying issues. If you’ve never heard any Lumineers songs before, this feeling I’m describing is just a classic mix of melancholy//family issues and the genre my Spotify calls “Stomp and Holler”- some comparable songs I’d say somewhat fit this criteria include (but are not limited to) The Cave by Mumford & Sons, Every Holiday by Mt. Joy, and Six Weeks by Of Monsters and Men.
My absolute favorite part of this song was towards the end, with the build-up to the final chorus. There is this beautiful instrumental that climaxes in the most passionate recanting of an already moving chorus. I was, of course, crying at this point on my first listen, and I just think that this finale was a wonderful way to conclude an already amazing song.
Although the aesthetics of this album are quite different from the Lumineers we’ve always known—the capitalized song lyrics, and sky photography for each of the cover photos—this new aesthetic still has the warm, wistful sentiments of the Lumineers we know and love. Of the two singles released for the new album so far, “BIG SHOT” hits me much harder than “BRIGHTSIDE” did– perhaps because I myself yearn for that old first-album Lumineers feeling. Regardless, I would rate this song a solid 10, especially if you’re already a fan of the Lumineers. This song makes me feel like a little kid again, with dreams that are much bigger than I was– songs that bring me back to this youthful, boundless hope are always among my favorites.
Go give “BIG SHOT” a listen now!
You already know “BIG SHOT” is set to be a Lumineers classic from the introductory instrumental– the regular Lumineers vocals plus piano accompaniment (in lieu of the traditional acoustic guitar) is always a heavenly mix. The lyricism in this song is striking (albeit pointed and at times, problematic) from the start as well, with a subtle hint of good ol’ American imagery–yes, this is where it’s potentially problematic– they sometimes love to throw in (as previously heard on 2019’s “Democracy” and 2012’s “Big Parade”). The chorus is quite aspirational, a hope for a brighter future, with this subject yearning to be a “big shot”, to be grown and something more, to not disappoint their mother, and to become a success. The reference to having a “big gun” feels like a callback to one of their earliest songs, 2009’s “Gun Song.” This song truly does give early Lumineers, with a nostalgia reminiscent of their debut album. The lyrics, on the other hand, with this yearning for appreciation, to be the “chosen one your mother loved the most”, feels a lot like their last album, which was a concept album circulating around family and accompanying issues. If you’ve never heard any Lumineers songs before, this feeling I’m describing is just a classic mix of melancholy//family issues and the genre my Spotify calls “Stomp and Holler”- some comparable songs I’d say somewhat fit this criteria include (but are not limited to) The Cave by Mumford & Sons, Every Holiday by Mt. Joy, and Six Weeks by Of Monsters and Men.
My absolute favorite part of this song was towards the end, with the build-up to the final chorus. There is this beautiful instrumental that climaxes in the most passionate recanting of an already moving chorus. I was, of course, crying at this point on my first listen, and I just think that this finale was a wonderful way to conclude an already amazing song.
Although the aesthetics of this album are quite different from the Lumineers we’ve always known—the capitalized song lyrics, and sky photography for each of the cover photos—this new aesthetic still has the warm, wistful sentiments of the Lumineers we know and love. Of the two singles released for the new album so far, “BIG SHOT” hits me much harder than “BRIGHTSIDE” did– perhaps because I myself yearn for that old first-album Lumineers feeling. Regardless, I would rate this song a solid 10, especially if you’re already a fan of the Lumineers. This song makes me feel like a little kid again, with dreams that are much bigger than I was– songs that bring me back to this youthful, boundless hope are always among my favorites.
Go give “BIG SHOT” a listen now!