Lord Huron has returned after four long years with their fifth album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, causing a myriad of emotional crises in listeners. Ben Schneider has driven the band into the land of no return, embodied by big skies and stretching deserts, as the band’s narrative in search of identity and the meaning of existence continues with mind-boggling lyricism, bright, jovial guitar, and soothing acoustics.
The band, composed of founder Ben Schneider, Mark Barry, Miguel Briseño, and Tom Renaud, released their debut album Lonesome Dreams in 2012. The Los Angeles-based group have recently experienced a massive boom as a result of the 2015 track The Night We Met becoming a viral sound on social media platforms TikTok and Instagram, after being featured in the hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why.
In the eternal search for one’s self…
The opening track in The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, Looking Back, sets the tone for the album’s deeply reflective themes and ethereal sound that has become a trademark of Lord Huron. A soft rock, folksy approach becomes artfully otherworldly, asking powerful questions that resonate with the deeper thinkers – what is the meaning of life? Who was I, who am I, and who will I become? The chorus’ lyrics “Spent my whole life looking back and wondering who I was/Something changed the day you left, and I’ll never know just what” reflect the search for self, the unknown of the future, and the confusion and contemplation that comes with past identities. Enough to drive the few sane among us slightly mad, I’d say.
Bag of Bones comes next, again exhibiting Lord Huron’s distinctive folksy sounds; moments of powerful guitar mixed with gentle acoustics. There’s nothing too distinctively different about this album when compared to the previous releases – it blends in with the current discography comfortably, adding gentle new elements without a jarring transition. It is easy to say that Lord Huron has a brilliantly unique sound that drives the listener into a brain-melting, relaxed stupor, as though washing over the stress of real life.
Nothing I Need feels like the signature song of the album, having enjoyed a premature release which assisted fans in becoming familiar with the jovial track. The track paints a beautiful picture through both sound and lyrics – think late afternoon sunshine, wheat fields, and desperate pining for a lost love. The lyrics are layered enough that it’ll take me a good few listens to unravel the true meaning, much like a good poem. However, in this case, I became somewhat distracted by the super catchy, bouncing rhythm. Toes tapping, head bobbing, I’m lost in the views of my bus journey… where were we?
The album continues in the same way; the only disruption to my gentle head bopping being Who Laughs Last, which features an intense, jagged spoken dialogue by Kristen Stewart (Twilight, Into the Wild) that lends some serious heaviness to the tale woven through the album. Strong images of alien lands, apocalypse, long roads, and madness create a whole new world within the album. I’ll update when I finally put it all together and work out the story through the masterful use of language employed by Schneider.
Start unravelling the lyrics now, and you might be done by Christmas
It’s safe to say: Lord Huron has done it again. The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 will be on repeat until I’m truly sick of it, and it should be for you as well, along with the rest of their discography. Do yourself a favour and listen when you’re feeling especially stressed. Thoughts will slide right off (it’s true, I’m listening as I write this – can you tell?) all whilst you are bombarded with misplaced pining and a deep existential and identity crisis. Have fun!
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Featured Image Credit: Lord Huron via Spotify, painted by Andrew “Mackie” McIntosh.