Indie rockers Lord Huron dropped a surprise new track and the announcement came with a strange note buried amid the marketing copy: “‘Who Laughs Last?’ represents just the first piece of a sonic, aesthetic, and sensory puzzle meant to be assembled with care.” Interestingly, the song accompanied a world tour announcement with no news about a new album. Perhaps there’s a hint about other pieces of the puzzle buried somewhere in the lyrics of the new song, which features a spoken-word performance from actor Kristen Stewart laid over a propulsive beat and a guitar riff that, if it was an individual in a bar, would definitely give off “I’m carrying at least one knife on my person” vibes. Vocalist Ben Schneider only comes in for the chorus, singing obliquely about fleeing on the open road after doing something unforgettable—or perhaps unforgivable. Schneider said of the collaboration with Stewart, “I didn’t know Kristen previously but I’d been a big fan since seeing her work with Olivier Assayas, which my wife introduced me to. I kept hearing her voice when I was writing this song and just thought ‘what the hell, I’ll reach out and see,’ thinking it was a long shot. But she said she was interested so we met up and hit it off talking about books, movies, and music. She immediately got what I was going for and had great ideas to boot. She’s just a great person and so creative and open. She added a lot to the video concept as well. It was the kind of collaboration you dream of, honestly.”
I think this new album is going to traverse across all what they’ve done so far. I think you’ll hear a bit of Vide Noir, a dash of Long Lost, and a sprinkle of Strange Trails. I think you’ll also hear a bit of Mighty and Into the Sun.
I think this is where it all finally collides, creating a strange oddity of cosmic trails where emeralds and oddities protrude through the dim flicker of lights ahead, echoing those lost to us, and to time: past, present, and future.
The Fat Angel Sings 