Especially in times of Corona, one is glad for any ray of hope. There's one at the start of 2022 from The Lumineers. "Brightside" is the title of the new longplayer of the US-American folk-rock band, who announced their most cheerful and spontaneous work so far. They wrote nine songs for it and recorded them during two sessions in the winter and spring of 2021. Band co-founders and co-songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites accounted for nearly all of the instrumentation, while keyboardist David Baron added a variety of keyboards and backing vocals. He also mixed and produced the record at his Sun Mountain Studios in Boiceville, New York, along with Simone Felice, a longtime collaborator of the band, who also contributed backing vocals. Additional studio support was provided by tour members Byron Isaacs and Lauren Jacobson, backup vocalist Cindy Mizelle (Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band), James Felice of The Felice Brothers, and singer-songwriter Diana DeMuth. The Lumineers released a first taste back in September with the title track, "Brightside," which was recorded in one day. "It's like a 15-year-old's fever dream, an American love story in all its glory and heartbreak. The last couple left, on the run from something and all alone...," singer and guitarist Wesley Schultz said of the song. The Lumineers were formed in 2005 by Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano) in Denver, Colorado. After changing lineups, they are the only two permanent members of the band. To date, they have released seven EPs and three albums, with "The Lumineers", "Cleopatra" and "III" reaching number two, number one and number two on the charts in the US respectively. "Brightside" is album number four.