The Context:
If you want an aesthetic of sunset music festival or a nostalgic out-the-body music experience, then Lord Huron is the way to go. With his debut in 2010 as a single artist, Ben Schneider only had a couple of EPs under his belt. However, he slowly began to build his band while trending on the charts with Lonesome Dreams in 2012. Serving to the indie pop culture buzz like The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, and Hozier, Lord Huron is a mastermind at bringing fuzzy feelings of nostalgia into his music. Schneider wanted the band to come alive like a movie, and indeed it did, with several of the music videos acting as “trailers” for their albums which created some ‘easter eggs’ for an eager fanbase, otherwise known as Travelers.
Now based in Los Angeles, the indie folk band caters to hipsters and soul seeking Travelers. With a twinge the sentimentality of Beach Boys and the smooth lyrics of The Lumineers, it isn’t surprising for Lord Huron to add dramatic flair to their western-indie sound. Ben Schneider based all the music on his own imagination, using comic books and movie trailers as an artistic additive to the albums. Many of their songs ending up on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Shameless”, “13 Reason’s Why”, and the 2015 film A Walk in the Woods.
The Content:
Strange Trails contains 14 tracks with several different styles and lyrical themes, but the one that stood out to the Travelers and critics alike was “The Night We Met”. “I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you,” are the famous lyrics to this soul-filling song, which made its way into many record charts, and was labeled as Platinum by the RIAA. The ethereal beginning and ending to Strange Trails are what captured listeners attention, but also the quirky-inventive way of creating songs based on romance, action, misadventure through western themes. The “Fool for Love” music video even has a number that fans can call to create their own adventure. The emotive album is about ghosts, love, and looking at the raw dark side of life and confronting it without fear.
The Skinny:
With confidence and the ability to be entranced by the nocturnal style of songs lets Lord Huron continue to surprise their fans with new and alternative indie music. Strange Trails shines on the musicality of different genres and uses that to create tender, upbeat, and catchy tunes for their adventurous Travelers. During festivals, Lord Huron also encourages the comfortable lonesome reverb that takes the experience up a level to an old sci-fi western experience which satisfies many lost souls. “Love Like Ghosts” and “The Night We Met” are just two of the unique quality songs that dive deep into the western inspiration and raw story telling.
The Rating – 8.5/10
Strange Trails
1. “Love Like Ghosts”
2. “Until the Night Turns”
3. “Dead Man’s Hand”
4. “Hurricane (Johnnie’s Theme)”
5. “La Belle Fleur Sauvage”
6. “Fool for Love”
7. “The World Ender”
8. “Meet Me in the Woods”
9. “The Yawning Grave”
10. “Frozen Pines”
11. “Cursed”
12. “Way Out There”
13. “Louisa”
14. “The Night We Met”
