On the follow-up to their chart-topping, multi-platinum 2015 breakthrough, Danish soul-pop outfit
Lukas Graham mellow out but remain as earnest as ever. Their aptly titled third full-length,
3 finds the
Lukas Forchhammer-fronted trio processing the life changes that inevitably come when global stardom starts knocking. Weary reflections from the road, laments and regrets about lost time and missed opportunities, and melodramatic odes to loved ones -- such as "Promise" -- are buffered with gospel heft and
Forchhammer's soul-indebted vocals. The saccharine "Lullaby" and "Love Someone" mirror the sentimental nature of their big hit, "7 Years," the latter track ably echoing
Ed Sheeran and
Jamie Lawson. The sappy "You're Not the Only One (Redemption Song)" sounds like
the Script and late-era
Keane joined forces, while the sole groover on
3, "Unhappy," resurrects the pre-pop sounds of early
Maroon 5. Fans of
Forchhammer's simple and unassuming innocence should enjoy these additional entries into the group's heartfelt oeuvre, from the dramatic opener "Not a Damn Thing Changed" to the choir-backed "Say Yes (Church Ballad)." ~ Neil Z. Yeung