The Album

I was fortunate enough to be at the house show where Harry and the Potters announced that they would be playing new music. None of us had any idea – it was a complete surprise. There was laughter, tears, and above all, there was magic in the music. It’s Harry’s birthday today, so I wanted to review this very special album in tribute of the boy who lived. From the info section on Bandcamp:

Released June 21, 2019, Lumos is Harry and the Potters’ first full-length album since 2006. It chronicles the events of the final Harry Potter book, which builds an opportunity to connect the dots: the systems facilitating oppression in the wizard world – state-run media, children being separated from their mixed-blood parents, surveillance systems, and pureblood supremacy – strongly echo the daily reality of creeping neo-fascism. Now is the time for Dumbledore’s Army, for the Order of the Phoenix. We are being called upon to become the heroes that this moment necessitates.

The Tracks

Lumos is appropriately the first track in the album. Harry and the Potters are well known for the high energy they put into their performances, so it was interesting to hear this song starting out soft and slow. However, the music crescendos into the passionate feeling that we’re used to hearing. It has an uplifting sound and it’s a great start to a wonderful album.

The next song is bouncy and fun. You’re Not the Wizard is about Harry coming to terms with the fact that he didn’t know Albus Dumbledore very well when he was alive. Since Dumbledore’s death, Harry starts discovering that there were a lot of things he did not know about his mentor, many of which are disturbing to him. I love jamming out and clapping along to this song.

We get a more mellow tone with Good Riddance (Privet Drive). It’s sarcastic, funny, and sad all at the same time. Harry reminisces about the times he had in the house where he was welcomed but not loved. Through all the humor, there is a bitter sweetness to the lyrics.

The Trace has a pop/rock vibe that gets me dancing every time. This song brings up a good point about privacy in the wizarding world. It’s catchy and fun, despite the concerning topic.

The next song has a very similar feeling to the previous, where the music is upbeat and bouncy but the lyrics tell of darker things. On the Importance of Media Literacy Under Authoritarian Rule is all about The Daily Prophet and how they can spin the narrative of current events the way they want to, instead of giving out the facts.

Hermione’s Army is a jazzy, funky, and overall wonderful tribute to the smartest witch we know. This song has an excellent combination of instruments (including a tight saxophone) and lyrics that speak of girl power, change, resistance, and looking to do some good in the world.

The first line of What Happened to the Cat? had me sobbing in the basement of Malfoy Manor. It’s a slow, incredibly heartbreaking song about Harry’s feelings over the loss of his family. This song still makes me so sad to think of all the family time that Harry missed, especially with their unnamed cat.

I love wizard rock songs that are about obscure characters. Therefore, I love The Banality of Evil (Song for Albert Runcorn). There is a very heavy underlining subject in the lyrics, which tells the listener that Voldemort won’t need a Death Eater army if the Ministry keeps doing what they’re doing. It reminds me of what Sirius says in the books; “the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters.”

The worst camping trip that the Golden Trio ever experiences happens in book seven. Gone Campin’ is an appropriately campy song about trying to magically summon fish for food. It’s from Ron’s perspective and the lyrics are hilarious. It’s one of my favorites on this album and I’d like to take this opportunity to point out my favorite part:

Accio salmon, accio tuna, accio pollock, accio grouper
Accio haddock, accio flounder, accio mackerel, accio lobster
Accio bluefish, accio whitefish, accio goldfish, accio shark
Accio catfish, accio clownfish, accio crayfish, accio carp
Accio smelt, accio scrod, accio shad, accio cod
Accio tilapia, accio halibut, accio anglerfish, accio mullet
Accio sea bass, accio guppy, accio sardines, accio porgy
Accio one fish, accio two fish, accio red fish, accio blue fish,
Accio snapper, accio monkfish, accio brook trout, accio Swordfish of Gryffindor

Where’s Ron (featuring Kimya Dawson as Hermione Granger) is an incredibly sweet song that is also one of my favorites. Harry and Hermione wonder where Ron has gone off to when he abandons them. The melody of the chorus gives me life. I love this song so much.

Harry and the Potters remind us that magic should not be treated like property in the song No Pureblood Supremacy. It’s a high energy musical number that has a strong rock vibe. We all know that Hermione is a great example of how your bloodline doesn’t have to be pure in order to be a good wizard.

The voices in our heads might not always say the kindest things to us. So when the Voldemort in Your Head is telling you that you’re not enough or not worthy of love, you need to fight with everything you’ve got. This short song comes in at just under two minutes, but that’s plenty of time to tell us that we are not alone and we can get through this.

The Sword, The Cup, and the Dragon is a funky song about escaping Bellatrix’s Gringott’s vault with Hufflepuff’s cup. I particularly enjoy the guitar solo near the end of the song. It’s so hype!!

The humorous sound continues with The Cloak. Though the performance itself is fun and upbeat, the lyrics tell of the seriousness and weight of Harry’s situation when he goes to face Voldemort. I love the instrumental riffs and the fact that this song makes me want to head bang. This song is the first of the three Deathly Hallows that are represented in the final three songs of the album.

The Stone comes in as the longest song of the album at nine and a half minutes. Somber and solemn, the Resurrection Stone is indeed a serious topic to cover, especially when Harry knows that he is actively walking towards his death. This song does a very good job at providing a haunting beat as Harry wonders how many heartbeats he has left before his heart stops forever. The end of the song makes me tear up during a compilation of MANY different people thanking Harry for all he’s done for us.

Finishing off the album as its sixteenth song is The Wand. There is an uplifting feel to the song that makes me lift my head up and look toward the future with hope in my heart and my wand in hand. It’s a strong finish to a truly magical album.

In Summary

Harry and the Potters have truly outdone themselves with this album. I am so grateful that they decided to continue making new wrock years after their last release. There are so many great topics prevalent in this album that are relevant to today’s world. All of the instrumentals, vocals, passion in the performance, lyrics, and mixing come together to create something incredible. It is a phoenix song of an album and I absolutely love it from start to finish. Wands up for Harry – this album gets a 16/7 for me.