Cleopatra

Released in 2016, Cleopatra marked a significant maturation for The Lumineers, moving away from the 'stomp-and-clap' tropes of the early 2010s folk revival toward a more grounded, Americana-influenced sound. Produced by Simone Felice of The Felice Brothers, the album emphasizes narrative songwriting and a 'less is more' approach to arrangement. The record is anchored by a series of interconnected music videos known as 'The Ballad of Cleopatra', which visualizes the life of the title character across several decades. Critically, the album was seen as a successful, if safe, evolution that solidified the band's status as leaders of the indie folk genre. It debuted at number one on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, proving that their brand of earnest storytelling had massive global appeal. It remains a pivotal moment in their discography, representing their peak commercial era and their final recording with multi-instrumentalist Neyla Pekarek.