Dualtone

Denver-based trio The Lumineers are the latest band to come around in the recent wave of Americana folk-rock. Made up of two old friends from New Jersey (guitarist/singer Wesley Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites) and a Denver native (cellist Neyla Pekarek), the group writes earnest, foot-stomping anthems that easily recall bands like The Avett Brothers and The Head and The Heart. The Lumineer’s first full-length self-titled album plays like a front-porch hootenanny and lays the band bare with simple guitar picking, a few sprinkles of strings and eager, heartfelt lyrics. The songs “Ho Hey” and “Dead Sea” are shining examples of third-wave folk done right with their slow-churning crescendos and trudging, but determined beats; the songs practically roar with life, inviting anyone game to sing along.