Ever since I stumbled upon Strange Trails, Lord Huron have been one of my favorite acts in music, so I jumped all over their follow-up,ย Vide Noir. Iโve always loved and been drawn to their blend of folky pop sounds that have always been reminiscent of Bon Iver, if not played a bit more straightforward. Onย Vide Noir, as implied by the title, they take things in a much more somber, bleak direction than before but not necessarily from a personal standpoint, but from the nature of their pulpy, anti-hero storytelling that feels like theyโre telling tales from the perspective of some Clint Eastwood-type noir character. Even though their sound is more bleak than before, the soundscapes they create still have great pop to them and are highly enjoyable to listen to nonetheless. Itโs a great blend of folk, pop, and bursts of psychedelia. Itโs a beautiful nighttime blend thatโs at times cinematic in nature โ with the best way of describing it is as psychedelic sci-fi folk western. They may not be as commercially or critically recognized as say a Bon Iver, but theyโre quietly putting together an impressive discography andย Vide Noir is further evidence that theyโre one of the most interesting acts in folk.
โHeaven wonโt let me in, I donโt know why
No one ever loved half as much as I
Everyoneโs a sinner in theย balancerโs eye
Iโve prayed enough, I rolled the dice
Anyoneโs luck can turn, Iโve heard
Not soon enough, I gave my wordโ
Have you heardย Vide Noir? Whatโd you think about it? Do you think Lord Huron are criminally underappreciated in music? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the album.