Friday

Pat Kennedy is a name will be known far and wide very soon. Hailing from Boston, and a recent graduate of Berklee, Kennedy dances the oh so fine line of bringing classic cassette rock and roll with a modern push. Through story-like writing and a bombastic brass section, Kennedy is nothing short of intoxicating to listen to. His time on stage, kicking off the entire festival, was far too short for my liking along with many others. The captivating performance held tunes from Table 42, a new track called Babylon, and a cover of the one and only Bruce Springsteen with Born to Run. Just an incredible time had with Kennedy, you can listen to my interview with him here.

Marcy Playground brought their Minneapolis sound they have been perfecting for over 30 years to the Skipper Stage. Their is a haze to their sound, something reminiscent of some psychadelic influences in their alt rock core. Although there were. afew drummer shakeups in their earlier years, this trio has been glue since 2009 with John Wozniak on guitar, Dylan Keefe on bass and Shlomie Laive behind the kit. Marcy Playground has three dates left this year, you can find tickets here.

Shakey Graves was quite the good time on the Crow’s Nest stage. A career spanning set with three touches on his latest record, Fondness, Etc., lots of new fans walked away from this groovy roots rock jam. When I found out he was from Austin, Texas, that made a lot of sense to me. He is the ideal SXSW and Austin City Limits type artist. A unique sound and a lot of talent to back it up. A busy year awaits Shakey Graves as he marches on with Dope Lemon through their North American tour, followed by a trip across the pond and more dates in the states on his return. You can find Shakey Graves tour dates here.

Touring partners Dashboard Confessional and The Fray played back to back on the Skipper Stage and Crow’s Nest Stage. All people needed to do to see this “The Summer of Light Tour” was turn their heads. Dashboard played first to a extremely packed crowd, this was the set where it felt people were really filling in. There was old and new, including teases of an upcoming album with the unreleased song “No More Bad Days”. The Fray focused more on the classics, playing five tracks off of their breakout record How To Save A Life. The sun was no match for this duo as their tour continues this summer. You can find tickets here.

The Black Keys made a statement with their set. Their music felt perfect for this weather, heavy riffs and dancing on the fretboard was just the start for the Ohio duo. Their Peaches! Tour has just gotten started supporting their covers record from this year. We got treated to one cover, Willie Griffin’s “When There’s Smoke, There’s Fire“, but beyond that it wads a slew of classics from Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. You can find dates for the rest of their tour here.

What a decade and what a set form Mt Joy. Over the course of the past 10 years, the Philadelphia natives have risen from small clubs and cafes to arena’s and headlining stages at festivals. Their breakout debut record set them on the path they’ve been riding ever since. 7 tracks were played from that special debut and a duo form Orange Blood with a few other scattered throughout. Modern indie folk heroes were the perfect set up to the Fridays headliner. Their set got people up and dancing from the blankets across the grounds. Mt. Joy continue celebrating their decade on tour, you can find tickets here.

With very select dates in North America this year, The Lumineers made one of their final stops at Minnesota Yacht Club. Their Automatic World Tour has seen them reach corners of the world and having them return almost a year after their first stop in Minnesota was a joy. Coming out to the Chicago Bull’s warmup song, this might be one of the final times we see this tours production and set. There were only brief touches of Automatic, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites didn’t shy away from their classics that helped bring them around the globe. Five tracks apiece from Cleopatra and The Lumineers, fans heard everything they wanted to hear despite a 15 minute cut to their set due to weather. The Lumineers will conclude their massive tour in just a few weeks. You can find tickets here.

Saturday

Porch Light began the day with a bang. The Minnesota natives have had an incredibly busy touring and there are no signs of slowing down with their upcoming fall Hush Tour. They played a collection of tunes from their various EP’s, along with their new single “Arctic”, which got people up and moving early in the day. Friday and Saturday had some incredible acts start of the day. Their flowing sound that can rattle around your brain for hours after hearing it. You can catch Porch Light stopping at Hinterland and the rest of their Hush Tour. Tickets can be found here.

Pop-punk pillars The All American Rejects came onto the stage with a bang as the opening riff of “Dirty Little Secret” seemed to ‘Benjamin Button’ everybody back to 18 years old before their knees started to give out. Frontman Tyson Ritter was having a blast on stage, even refereeing a match of ‘who has the highest tower of water cartons’. Their set hit the old classics with a closing duo of “Move Along” and “Gives You Hell” which took the crown in 2009 on the Billboard Top 40 . While all those hits are nice, AAR put out their first record in well over a decade with Sandbox dropping in May. 3 songs form the record made its way to the setlist, “Easy Come, Easy Go“, “Get This” ,and “King Kong“. This band is exactly what you want to hear in the summer, and they stepped right up to the plate and hit it out of the park. The All American Rejects will be hitting around the country on select dates including Riot Fest and Vans Warped Tour Mexico City. You can tour dates here.

Singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus had a constantly growing crowd at Minnesota Yacht Club. Her set has heavy on her two most recent records, 2025’s Forever Is A Feeling and 2021’s Home Video. These two made up 75% of her beautiful set which featured an incredible performance by her band. They had an audible pulse and were all at the top of their game, especially Dacus who held the attention of every passerby and barricade attendee alike. The day after this great show, Dacus performed with the Chicago Philharmonic in Milenium Park. This is range of performance that people dream of. Near the end of the set “True Blue” was played. The boygenius track, which is her supergroup with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, was received with an eruption of cheers when it set it on the crowd. The group is on hiatus as all three attend to their immensely successful solo careers. Dacus has select dates for the rest of the year including Newport Folk Fest and Bumbershoot. You can find tickets here.

Geese. What else is there to say but Geese. A dominating force in the current landscape of not only alternative music, but music as a whole. They rose to the occasion in grand fashion, closing out and practically burning down the Crow’s Nest Stage. In one hour, Geese flew through a dozen songs, 75% from Getting Killed and the final quarter from 3D Country. Noticeably missing from their set was “Cobra“, one of their most popular tunes but it took until after the set to realize due to their chaotic and lively show. There isn’t much left to say besides go see Geese. It’s fun. Frontman Cameron Winter said that they last time they played Minnesota, it was a bar and grill (Amsterdam to be exact, with Racing Mount Pleasant opening up), and that they will be returning to that shortly. Geese will be hitting the road this fall for their Getting Killed… AGAIN! tour including a stop at Hinterland on August 2nd. You can find tour dates here.

Matchbox Twenty was the headliner Saturday night, with their first show in almost two years. They had a warm reception back as from a packed crowd Saturday night, providing the tunes to a incredible sunset. This fest starts off a collection of shows they have across the country where they will bring their unmistakable sound to thousands of fans. This set was a classic show with a few twists. Hits like “3AM” and “Push” were played and two covers made their way into the order. “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”, a deep cut from The Beatle’s Abbey Road was a shock and joy to hear live. Rob Thomas and company made stellar work of the tune along with “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. The band seemed happy to be back playing, and the crowd was right there with them. You can find tickets to their 2026 tour here.

Sunday

If you has to itch to mosh this weekend, the combination of local heroes Heart To Gold and Die Spitz would have been the golden opportunity. These two bands laid waste to the massive stage, letting the people get their anger, happiness, or any other emotion out through their incredible performances. Heart To Gold was dominant and unapologetic, tearing into favorites from their 2024 record Free Help. The band recently recorded an Audiotree session which you can listen to here. Die Spitz continued pressing down on the gas afterwards with a dozen songs. Half came from their 2025 record Something to Consume and the remaining six split amongst their debut record Teeth and two singles. The biting guitars itch something in my ear and their live show is joy to have seen. Die Spitz will be all over the globe with Foo Fighters, Olivia Rodrigo, and their own headlining tour. You can find tickets, including a stop at Hinterland, here. You can find Heart To Gold tour dates here.

Semisonic made their return this weekend with a duo of shows, their first in two years. Bassist and founding members John Munson suffered a stroke in February 2025 which caused a cancellation of a gigs for the band. Until this past weekend where Semisonic played a kickoff show on Thursday night and The Varsity Theater and the Skipper Stage on Sunday. The band was back in full force for this hometown show in what felt like an incredibly well earned victory lap. The set featured “Don’t Give Up Yet“, a song written by frontman Dan Wilson for Munson while I.C.E. raids were terrorizing their hometown. This optimistic tune is their first new material in almost three years. Wilson told a story about a time he saw fellow Minnesotan Bob Dylan play this park, where he prefaced his performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind” with the line “This song is a time honored classic”, which he attributed to their finale “Closing Time“. He’s not wrong, this tune has closed bars, venues, weddings, and any establishment with people inside who need to leave. To have a song this impactful come out of the Twin Cities and then performed there to 35,000+ people almost three decades later is really spectacular. Semisonic is absolutely a time honored classic. The band doesn’t have any dates lined up as of now, but stayed tuned to their website for updates!

Cage the Elephant have always stepped right up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Whether its playing main stages at every fest imaginable or playing stadiums and arenas around the world, the Kentucky quintet have never been anything less than superb. In one hour, there was barely a moment to breath throughout the rapid fire set which featured tracks from all but one of their records, 2024’s Neon Pill. In addition to all of the classics like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Shake Me Down” was their latest single “Beaches In Tennessee“. The band has been working on the music during a relatively quiet first half of 2026 as they ramp up to an album release announcement. After their set, I asked some patrons their thoughts on the band to which all had golden things to say. Bob, a Bostonian entering his 66th year on Earth this August, said “musicians come and go, rockstars are remembered even when they don’t stick around. These guys are rock stars” after seeing them for the first time. Not far away was Molly, who had seen Cage the Elephant in the fall, who seconded Bob’s enthusiasm for their showmanship. “Seeing them feels like what my parents talk about when they said they saw bands like Zeppelin” is about the highest praise you can get as a live band. Stay tuned to Cage the Elephant website for updates.

During the finale, “Come A Little Closer“, guitarist Brad Schultz came down to a boy in the crowd and strapped his black and white 1449 Silvertone guitar around a young boy who brought a sign. The breakdown and final chorus was spent making this lifetime memory for the kid sporting an Interpol shirt. If you weren’t a fan of Cage the Elephant before, you are now (even if Schultz tumbled on the stairs and “ate shit on the way down”, his words).

A quick and breezy set for The Strokes as they closed out the fifth edition of Minnesota Yacht Club. The New York natives started off with an “Evening Sun“, which was only the fourth time this year it has been played. That was far from the only showing from the record First Impressions of Earth, which tied the lead with Is This It with four songs a piece in the set. Newer favorite “The Adults Are Talking” was second on the set followed by an older classic “Reptilia” which is usually reserved as a main set closer but used to electrify the crowd early. The stage design continued this futuristic vibe with lasers and strobes painting the sides of the band in bright colors. Mainly a backlit set with the cherry on top of sunglasses on frontman Julian Casablancas at 10:00pm was a sign that the band in their element. The Strokes saved their sole Reality Awaits track, “Going Shopping” until almost the very end with the record set to release this Friday. The Strokes roll on their tour throughout 2026, you can find dates here.

Minnesota Yacht Club delivered a top tier festival experience, combining some incredible bands with a prestigious and plush feel on Harriet Island. Spending the weekend next to the river with boats soaking up the sun with the backdrop of St. Paul was postcard worthy. Inside the festival grounds were an incredibly friendly and excited staff who helped put on the biggest weekend of music in Minnesota this year. Blankets spread all across the park and surrounded by music is the ideal way to spend a summer. Stay tuned to Minnesota Yacht Club’s socials and website for updates on next years edition!

The post Minnesota Yacht Club Recap appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Friday

Skipper Stage

As their massive Automatic World Tour winds down, The Lumineers have taken their set to stadiums across the world. Spending their 2026 in Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia, these handful of North American shows are a well earned victory lap. Their 2025 record, Automatic, was a resounding success for the band 21 years in. A pillar of the folk rock scene that has driven forward countless bands to include banjo and steel guitar, their impact on the landscape of their scene cannot be understated. The Lumineers headline The Skipper Stage at 9:00 pm.

You don’t see duos too often in music, but The Black Keys have mastered their craft. Five Grammy Awards in and still putting out quality blues rock, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are not to be taken for granted. Their latest record, Peaches!, a collection of their favorite covers has been a jumping off point for many into blues classics. With a slew of original tunes in 2024’s No Rain, No Flowers and 2024’s Ohio Players, quality output has never been a question for the Akron natives. The Black Keys play at 7:00 pm.

Chris Carrabba’s voice has been in emo’s hearts for over two and a half decades at this point as Dashboard Confessional has been a staple on alt playlists for years. Through the recovery process a motorcycle accident, Carrabba penned the acoustic record All the Truth That I Can Tell which dropped in 2022. The storytelling that made him so famous reaches another level of honesty on this record. Back healthy and touring, Dashboard Confessional plays at 5:00 pm.

Marcy Playground has been around for over three decades and really made their splash in 1997 with “Sex and Candy”, the lead single from their debut record. A classic 90’s alt rock sound that has graced the alternative radio airwaves for a long time. Although there hasn’t been much new music as of late, touring schedule has kept them rather booked and busy. Marcy Playground plays at 3:00 pm.

Another hometown band, Prize Horse is a trio from Minnesota who have found their heavier, almost shoegaze type sound, through their string of singles and first record Under Sound. Recently hitting the road with Glitterer and Graham Hunt, they have found a home in the scene where their music thrives beyond a single genre. Prize Horse plays at 1:30 pm.

Crow’s Nest Stage

An incredible pairing with The Lumineers to say the least. Mt. Joy have launched themselves into stardom with their alt-folk sound through their first four records with 2024’s Hope We Have Fun bringing up the most recent. In addition to these records, the Philadelphia quintet has a pair of incredible live records recorded at Red Rocks in 2021 and The Salt Shed in 2024. They’ve been selling out arenas across the country as the celebrate 10 years of being a band this fall. Mt Joy will play at 8:00 pm.

The Fray haven’t strayed far from fellow Yacht Club attendees Dashboard Confessional as their tour hits the Twin Cities. The band released their fifth record, A Light That Waits, in March, that continued their classic soft rock sound thats graced radio waves for years. The Fray play at 6:00 pm.

Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, is a veteran of the alt folk scene. What started out as a one man band has developed into a eye catching stage show. Garcia put out his fifth studio record, Fondness, Etc., on May 15th. Shakey Graves plays at 4:00 pm.

After a recent visit to Iowa City and interview with KRUI in the fall Night Moves plays this hometown show at Minnesota Yacht Club before they embark on a tour with The Afghan Whigs this fall. Their record, Double Life, released last year with plenty indie rock flourishes. Night Moves plays at 2:15 pm.

Electric. That’s what Pat Kennedy is. A loud and full sound from the east coast (Massachusetts) is a bombastic start to the festival. His debut record, Table 42, released last year and it has been non-stop touring since. His brass band will join him bright and early to kick off Minnesota Yacht Club 2026. Pat Kennedy plays at 1:00 pm.

Saturday

Skipper Stage

The Return of Matchbox Twenty is happening at Minnesota Yacht Club. Having not played a show for almost two years, this is the kind of return show any band would dream of. Lead singer Rob Thomas stayed busy in the past year touring his solo works, but the band dropped their latest record When The Light Goes in 2023 and a collection of previously unreleased B-Sides in February. Through decades of hits and records, Matchbox Twenty taking the biggest stage in the Twin Cities at 9:00 pm.

Ben Schneider, Tom Renaud, Miguel Briseño, and Mark Barry make up the indie folk favorites Lord Huron. With a smooth and almost storybook sound to their music, Schneider fronts this band with a charm that captivates the listener. Their most recent release, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, will have been out for on year on July 18th. Lord Huron plays at 7:00 pm.

After the resounding success their “House Party Tour”, The All American Rejects have rekindled the love of garage bands and backyard shows. With a catalogue of hits ranging through their 5 records, including their first LP in 14 years Sandbox, the world is in the hands of Tyson Ritter and the band. The All American Rejects play at 5:00 pm.

22 years into their career, Matt and Kim have never stuck to just one genre. The duo combines a lot of electronic and dance elements in their music with moments of acoustic peace. Their most recent record, be kind rewind, hovered this line. Matt and Kim play at 3:00pm.

Hometown heroes Yam Haus will open the day on the Skipper Stage with their flowing indie rock. Their latest single, “One Way Road“, is emblematic of their fun sound with the helping hand of Cory Wong of Vulfpeck. Yam Haus takes the stage at 1:30 pm.

Crow’s Nest Stage

You ever hear about this band? Everyone else has. You could not talk about the modern landscape of music without Geese. In my interviews with indie rock favorites Peach Pit and Grammy Award winning bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle, they both mentioned Geese as they continue on their rise from their 2025 record Getting Killed. There’s not much to say about these New York indie-rock darlings beyond go listen to them. Better late than never. Geese will headline the Crow’s Nest Stage at 8:00 pm.

One third of the supergroup boygenius (along with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker) is Lucy Dacus. Celebrating a decade since her debut record, Dacus has 5 records of solo material to critical acclaim. Her latest single, Planting Tomatoes, dropped in April. Lucy Dacus takes the Crow’s Nest stage at 6:00 pm.

With the upcoming release of her deluxe album “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me… Again!“, Jensen McRae has been making waves with her unique sound through the alt-pop scene. The touches if folk and rock blended with the singer-songwriter vibes are prevalent and welcomed. She will be opening up for Gracie Abrams on select dates in 2027. McRae plays at 4:00 pm.

Music has always been apart of Devon Gilfillian’s life, his father played in band around town and Devon made the most of his time in high school by starting a band with some friends. All these years later, Gilfillian released fourth studio album Time Will Tell in June. He will play at 2:15 pm.

Performing their very first festival at Summerfest in June, Porch Light will embark on a very festive summer with stops at Lollapalooza, Hinterland, Shaky Knees, and right here at Minnesota Yacht Club. One of my favorite new bands that has jumped so high since their start in 2024, the Minnesota natives have the exact songs you want to hear outside in the summer. Their latest single, Arctic, released in June. Porch Light will kick off Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Sunday

Skipper Stage

The Strokes bring their Reality Awaits Tour to Minnesota, closing out the final night of the fest. With the new record just days away from releasing (July 24th), fans are eagerly hoping for more glimpses at Reality Awaits in addition to its first two singles “Going Shopping” and “Falling out of Love” which was played on one of Stephen Colbert’s final episodes of The Late Show. This tour has seen Julian Casablancas and the band reach back into their discography for some deep cuts including “One Way Trigger” from Comedown Machine and “Life Is Simple in the Moonlight“from Angles. The New York legends will continue their tour through arenas, amphitheatres and headlining slots at festivals at Harriet Island Regional Park at 9:00 pm.

One of the greatest live bands alive, Cage the Elephant will play their only two gigs on the books at Minnesota Yacht Club. Providing direct support to The Strokes on Friday in Milwaukee, and playing right before them again on the Skipper Stage on Sunday. The Kentucky rockers have been working on a new record after a busy 2026 that included supporting Oasis in North America. Their first single from the forthcoming album, “Beaches in Tennessee” drops on July 10th. Cage the Elephant play at 7:00 pm.

A hometown show for Twin Cities natives Semisonic is a highlight on the final day of the festival. Although known for their massive hit “Closing Time“, the band has so much more to discover if you dig beneath the surface. Their 1998 record Feeling Strangely Fine hosts “Secret Smile” and “Singing in My Sleep” that have been hidden favorites on alt rock radio for almost three decades. Their latest single “Don’t Give Up Yet” dropped in June and the band will play at 5:00 pm.

Die Spitz is one of the hottest new bands, and for good reason. Their music brings a competitive spirit to the rock scene that has earned themselves an incredibly busy year that includes their own headlining tour along with supporting King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard along with Turnstile. That does not even touch the packed 2027 they already have planned boasting supporting slots for Foo Fighters in Asia and Olivia Rodrigo Europe. Die Spitz debut record Something to Consume has rightfully launched them with their heavy and groovy vibe that feels incredibly fresh in the modern landscape. Die Spitz plays at 3:00 pm.

The name Heart To Gold may sound familiar to some as they have been making their way through the ranks of the diy scene. Minnesota natives, this fest is a big stage for the trio that I have no worries they will make it home. Recently opening up for Sweet Pill and Harrison Gordon, their next endeavour on the road will be supporting Death Lens this fall. Just making their way back from a tour in Japan. If you want a taste of their live shows, you can watch their full gig at the historic First Ave here. Heart To Gold plays at 1:30 pm.

Crow’s Nest Stage

Dating back even farther than their 1997 debut record, Atmosphere have been a massive presence in the Minnesota underground music scene. The duo of Slug and Ant are 14 records in, with Jesture being the most recent release from 2025. They are well known for their extensive touring and this year is no exception, joining 311 and Dirty Heads for a leg of their summer tour. Atmosphere plays at 8:00 pm.

Michael Angelakos’ project Passion Pit has been an indie favorite for close to two decades. With touches of electronic and alt influences like The Postal Service and Modest Mouse, this sound has been infectious from the beginning. Passion Pit’s recent single “Sleepyhead 2025” with SOFI TUKKER was his first output in almost three years. Passion Pit takes the stage at 6:00 pm.

Angus Stone has been releasing music for a while but only under the name Dope Lemon for 10 years. Five records into this project, including 2025’s Golden Wolf, this beach-y and glowing sound has developed into ear worms that ring around quite a bit. Touring with fellow Yacht Club Rocker Shakey Graves this summer, its a well matched vibe. Dope Lemon plays at 4:00 pm.

Harkening back to an 80’s pop vibe with moments of crooning honesty, Couch has a sound ideal for a hot summer day. Their headline tour comes through Minnesota Yacht Club before opening some dates for Lake Street Dive out west. Couch’s debut LP Big Talk will celebrate one year in October. Couch plays at 2:15 pm.

These California natives are making waves. Common People have gained the blessing of Brad Schultz of Cage the Elephant, who produced their EP Games, and have been running with it since. Their latest single, a dreamy vibe on “Blue Eyes” has taken them a step further into the limelight. They kick off the final day of Minnesota Yacht Club at 1:00 pm.

This weekend promises to be full of favorites from past, present, and future. A combination of some incredible artists in a beautiful setting right on The Mississippi River in downtown Saint Paul, this is a can’t miss weekend. 3-day tickets are sold out, but limited 1-day tickets for Saturday are still available, you can find passes here.

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“Sleep On The Floor” is the opening track of Cleopatra and opens with some strong base and your typical folksy cymbal action. It’s an excellent choice to preview the album– it’s bold, it’s a little quirky, and it’s definitely The Lumineers.

The second song of Cleopatra is entitled “Ophelia.” Even if you have not listened to the rest of the album, you can tell that “Ophelia” is a winner. Combine some slightly jazzy piano with The Lumineers usual bass-themed vibes and you have got yourself a hit.

“Cleopatra” comes third in the lineup as the title track of the record and offers a little bit of a different beat than the previous two tracks. The guitar drives a little more here, and overall the track is extremely successful. Here’s your dancing song, kids.

The fourth track on the album is “Gun Song,” which opens with the odd lyric I don’t wanna own a single gun / But if I did you’d be the one. The song is catchy despite the haunting lyrics and feels like one should be running through a meadow of flowers whilst wearing a fedora when listening to it. There really is no better way to describe the vibe.

“Angela,” “In The Light,” and “Gale Song” are some of the central tracks of Cleopatra and are extremely similar in nature. These are chill songs– you’re just going to want to sit back and listen to these. “Angela” and “Gale Song” are pretty sad and mournful, but “In The Light” is just a really easy jam.

“Long Way From Home” is the eighth track of the album. This song is passionate and has some really nice guitar work. It doesn’t stand out as a hit, but still has a lot of merit. This one is not going to get stuck in your head, but it is enjoyable to listen to.

“Sick In The Head” comes up next on Cleopatra and experiments a little bit with some echoing vocals. This one is pretty sad, and the repeating guitar pattern is a little much, but again, it’s not bad to listen to.

The tenth track, “My Eyes,” is the peak of The Lumineers moodiness and melancholy. The track is a little haunting, but also has more upbeat moments of excitement during the chorus. There’s some spooky piano work, which makes this song shine amongst many other chilled-out ballads on the record.

“Patience” is up next, and is a real shortie, coming in at 1:37. This track is solely instrumental, featuring a really beautiful piano melody that complements the tone of the album as a whole.

“Where The Skies Are Blue” is the first of the additional bonus tracks on the album. This song is a little more light-hearted than most on the record, which is probably explained by the title of the track. “Where The Skies Are Blue” almost feels like a carnival or a picnic vibe. It’s cool, happy-go-lucky, and fun to listen to.

“Everyone Requires A Plan” is another bonus track on Cleopatra and mimics the melancholy of earlier tracks like “Angela” and “Gale Song.” Once again, this track is nice to hear, but doesn’t exactly shine.

“White Lie” is the final bonus track of Cleopatra and kicks off with some really clean, deep vocals. This track combines the pretty piano melodies that were experimented with earlier in the record with The Lumineers’ signature driving guitar. It’s pretty morose, but has some building appeal. This one is a winner and an excellent choice to wrap up the record.

So what’s the consensus on Cleopatra? It’s folksy, it’s soulful at moments, and at others it’s very chill. Unfortunately, it doesn’t shine all the time. In terms of cohesion, this album does well, but individual songs have a hard time standing out in memory. Especially in the middle of the album, songs start to blend together. However, there is technical precision and attention to detail here, as a well as attention to the larger theme of the album. The songs are good, they just don’t stand out on their own (with the exception of “Ophelia” and “White Lie”). This record is definitely worth giving a listen to, but don’t put it down for album of the year.

Album Rating: B+

Check out The Lumineers on Twitter and Facebook, if you’re into that.

The post Album Review: “Cleopatra” by The Lumineers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In 2011, they led a self-booked tour. Shortly afterward they acquired quite the following. On April 3, 2012, the band’s first album was released. Their first single, “Ho Hey,” is an upbeat love song filled with honest lyrics that are nice to sing along to, but I would like to focus on another potential hit on the album titled “Slow It Down”. It shows off a softer, more gentle side while still maintaining their mellifluous lyric style. Towards the end it speeds up a little for their signature upbeat vibe yet still remains sweet. The entire album has a very heart-on-your-sleeve feel and I highly recommend it for anyone!

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