Description
Evoking wide-open vistas and the spirit of travel, American indie outfit Lord Huron emerged in the early 2010s on the heels of the indie folk boom, bringing together an expansive and dynamic blend of folk, rock, pop, and threads of Americana. Led by Michigan nativeBen Schneider, the Los Angeles-based Lord Huron — who take their name from one of the five Great Lakes — found mainstream success in 2014 with the release of their lush, Western-inspired second albumStrange Trails, whose closing track, “The Night We Met,” reached an even larger audience in 2017 thanks to a key placement in the Netflix series ‘13 Reasons Why’.
On their follow-up, Strange Trails, Lord Huron settle into the Western themes and sense of open prairies that marked the band’s debut,Lonesome Dreams. Frontman/songwriterBen Schneiderfully embraces the American West/Troubadour character, illustrated even in song titles like “Dead Man’s Hand,” “Meet Me in the Woods,” and “The Yawning Grave.” With warm electric guitar sounds, soft and constant reverb, harmonized vocals, and a faint but persistent twang, it’s a contemporary, specificallyFleet Foxes-reminiscent, indie folk-influenced rock haunted by allusions to the Old West. Listeners may envision fringe and spurs without any overt country presence (though there’s certainly a subtle one) outside of lilting vocals, such as on “Way Out There.”The band still focuses more on atmosphere and haunting, harmonic sound and rhythm than on progressions or memorable hooks, but the landscapes that they create are consistent and sound-defining, and there’s no shortage of eerie beauty in the melodies. Strange Trails‘ serene ambience and unconventional narrative captures the imagination of inclined first-timers. via AllMusic
Label: Mercury Records
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Picture Disc, Reissue, 10th Anniversary Edition
Released: 2025 / Original Release: 2015
Genre: Rock, Folk
Style: Folk Rock
File under: Alternative / Indie / Pop
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