Folk music is in the business of dancing between country and indie. Too much like a neighborhood garage band to carry out the twangs of country, but not garage enough to ditch vintage notes all together. Out of Los Angeles, Lord Huron produces music sitting in that crossroad of genres.
New single “Wait by the River” dropped on February 16, the third of their 2018 releases. It takes their standard lovelorn approach and envisions it as a waltz. The sickly sweet tone wants to seduce the listener, and it’s easy to have on repeat for hours. If the lyrics didn’t tell a story of obsession, the song would be enough to lull you to sleep. As a progression of their style, it is set apart from older songs without abandoning them.
“Wait by the River” is a part of the upcoming Vide Noir album. While the previous releases were two halves of a whole, this one stands on its own. “Wait by the River” goes out of its way to be as different as possible whilst meeting the theme Lord Huron has developed. Despite differences in mood, a listen through offers a prediction for the final album. Smoky, mysterious and melancholic — Lord Huron nails the “driving at night” sensation without being repetitive.
Vide Noir has no official release date yet. While you wait on that, check out Wait by the River, Ancient Names I and II.