Lord Huron Vide Noir 2LP (Vinyl)

Double LP!

Lord Huron invites you to stare into the abyss this spring with the release of their third full-length album, Vide Noir. The first work for their new partnership with Whispering Pines/Republic Records, Vide Noir follows 2015's critically lauded Strange Trails.

Vide Noir was written and recorded over the past two years at Lord Huron's Los Angeles studio and informal clubhouse, Whispering Pines. The album was mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips/MGMT) and engineered by Sonny DiPerri (Portugal. The Man, Animal Collective). Singer, songwriter, and producer Ben Schneider found inspiration wandering restlessly through his adopted home of L.A. at night: "My nighttime drives ranged all over the city—across the twinkling grid of the valley, into the creeping shadows of the foothills, through downtown's neon canyons and way out to the darksome ocean. I started imagining Vide Noir as an epic odyssey through the city, across dimensions, and out into the cosmos. A journey along the spectrum of human experience. A search for meaning amidst the cold indifference of The Universe," he says.

As a true multi-media artist, Schneider has once again created an adorned world to inhabit within Vide Noir: the album will be accompanied by a wealth of imagery, videos, and immersive experiences crafted to expand upon its narratives and themes. This builds on Schneider's past work which used videos, a comic book, a choose-your-own-adventure hotline, and assorted Easter eggs as means of deepening the listener experience.

Originally a musical and visual solo project by Michigan native-turned Angeleno Schneider, Lord Huron now includes members Mark Barry (percussion), Miguel Briseño (bass), and Tom Renaud (guitar). After a pair of independent EPs, Lord Huron released two full-length albums, Lonesome Dreams (2012) and Strange Trails (2015) on IAMSOUND Records, followed by extensive touring and prestigious festival appearances both stateside and abroad. After appearing in the hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, the band's song "The Night We Met" (from Strange Trails) was officially certified Platinum in January 2018.

"At the core, each of Vide Noir's songs hold the same grounded grooves fans and critics have come to appreciate from their first two albums, Lonesome Dreams (2012) and Strange Trails (2015). But layered atop and around Ben Schneider's rooted compositions are psychedelic frills, fuzzed out guitars, and foreign instrumentation. And the space. Oh, there's so much space. It's in the amped up second half of 'Ancient Names,' an almost comical take upon first listen because of its jarring nature. It's an overly efficient Lord Huron hurrying through their set and yet it shows another side of a simply great song—a bit of sonic stretching. There's plenty more where that came from... Vide Noir is easily the band's most musically striking release to date. How much of that is on [Dave] Fridmann (who mixed the album) is hard to tell, but he's clearly an influence. The vocal treatment on 'Never Ever,' the funky canvas of 'When the Night is Over,' the haunting, almost Wild West feel of 'Back From the Edge'—they're appreciated flourishes on the band's ever-propulsive tracks." - Under The Radar

"Unburdened by contractual obligations and working at their studio and informal clubhouse Whispering Pines in Los Angeles, Lord Huron found the freedom and comfort to pursue their vision without compromise. The result is Vide Noir: a sonically bold, bravely-executed saga that pushes the band’s sound in ambitious new directions... Many of Vide Noir's songs were tested on the road as early as 2016 and honed with a jeweler's precision into their final form. Dusty ballads share space on the album with punky rippers, '50s sock-hop sways and ethereal electronic passages. Each entry is a glinting star, and together they form a sonic constellation examining the search for meaning amidst the cold indifference of the universe." - Nuvo

"The new single, titled 'When the Night is Over,' is a deeply soothing song, worthy of rocking someone to sleep or cradling a lover in your arms. It's the musical equivalent of a quiet thunder storm resonating through an open window on a dark and cloudy night." - Paste

"Lord Huron creates rich landscapes that stretch far beyond sound." – The New York Times Style Magazine

"For the L.A. band Lord Huron, there's far more to music than merely playing sweetly summery, rhythmically inventive pop. There's also an air of mystery: a desire to tell stories, play with identities and craft visuals to complement its sounds." – NPR Music

Features:
• Double LP
• Gatefold jacket

Selections:
1. Lost In Time And Space
2. Never Ever
3. Ancient Names (Part I)
4. Ancient Names (Part II)
5. Wait By The River
6. Secret Of Life
7. Back From The Edge
8. The Balancer's Eye
9. When The Night Is Over
10. Moonbeam
11. Vide Noir
12. Emerald Star