Lord Huron bring a sort of landscape portrait quality to their music, with evocative and atmospheric tunes which might fit comfortably on soundtracks for aerial films or big sky Westerns. Some have a darker, brooding feel, still others rock with an updated Buddy Holly-influenced honesty. There's usually a variety of sounds.
This album is still atmospheric, but all kind of dark and downtempo for my tastes. Wasn't even making it all the way through every tune as I checked it out. But then, I hit track 11. And it hit me back - it's awesome! Best tune on the new album, and that includes the single and the advance songs.
I appreciate the experimentation and weirdness of the first tracks released, "Ancient Names (Parts 1 & 2)", but they didn't hook me. The "official" single, "Wait By the River", is a bit too plodding for me - that's one slow river. In my first listen to the full album, too many songs seemed slowed down, and it began to feel like the band took the success of their "The Night We Met" as an indication many tunes' tempos should be slowed to match their hit.
But that allowed a sort-of sameness to creep in, and I grew a bit bored... until "Vide Noir" itself lifted me back up! It's still a little slow, but in a good way - it's slinky, haunting - "staring into a pure black hole" - heading for the edge - may not come back... with snapping fingers, or clapping hands, soaked in reverb, a solid bass line, and that slinky, sitar-like guitar... it's fine Lord Huron music. And, while not fast or uptempo by any stretch, there's more going on here, and enough to sink your teeth into to be satisfying.
Check it out - in my opinion, the best new song by Lord Huron "Vide Noir":
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