Long Lost
by Lord Huron
  • Record Label: Republic
  • Release Date: May 21, 2021
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 50
  3. Negative: 3 out of 50
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  1. DKStrohl
    Jun 13, 2021
    9
    In a year of stellar album releases, “Long Lost” stands out among the best. In my opinion, this album puts Lord Huron among the best artists working today.
  2. Kanser
    May 26, 2021
    10
    I was blown away by this album. I have it on repeat and like all classics it gets better with every listen. It's extraordinarily subtle at the start but builds momentum and captivates the listener. It's hard to describe, music from yesteryear with an alt country twist that breezes throughout the house when on repeat play. It's evident lots of planning went into this and I wish them every success
  3. EVERLEDIS
    May 25, 2021
    10
    i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved i loved
  4. NorrisTheSpider
    May 25, 2021
    9
    More than any other Lord Huron album, Long Lost requires a few listens and a broader perspective to fully appreciate. It doesn't delve as far into any specific narrative endeavour as dramatically as any of their previous albums do--there are no character stories told through album-spanning lore or anything quite so elaborate that fans may have come to expect from the band. Similarly,More than any other Lord Huron album, Long Lost requires a few listens and a broader perspective to fully appreciate. It doesn't delve as far into any specific narrative endeavour as dramatically as any of their previous albums do--there are no character stories told through album-spanning lore or anything quite so elaborate that fans may have come to expect from the band. Similarly, things are kept a bit more stylistically consistent compared to the vast array of sounds displayed on their previous album, Vide Noir.

    While this might alienate some at first, I really do think it's to this album's strength. Instead of a narrative framed by fantastical Americana, Long Lost features hypothetical country stars from some time period lost in the cosmic void. The band treats the listened to a one hour window into a bygone era of music. We open with a droning, heavenly sounding bed of Ennio Morricone-esque organs, which abruptly cuts into a drum-stick cue in of a Marty Robbins cowboy song that never was.

    Long Lost commits to this concept with unrelenting attention. Even the singles of this album, namely the rockabilly Not Dead Yet, and I Lied--caught somewhere between mournful and hopeful--are done as stylistically similar to their bygone inspiration as possible whilst still being framed by a modern lens.

    Long Lost plods on with careful precision. It rarely picks up pace but often changes up styles--Meet Me In The City finds the band carrying the listener through a string of bad influences set to a score for a David Lynch movie that never was, only to pull them out of the oppresive gloom of the city and into the wide, grassy fields in the title track. Twenty Long Years imagines the decades-later outcome of all of the impulsive actions of Meet Me In The City.

    Despite being slower in tempo and moodier in tone to their other releases, Long Lost feels meticulously well paced. Maybe that's because of how consistent and entertaining and multi-layered all of these songs are. Maybe it's because of how seamlessly they all transition together.

    What Do It Mean is the kinda-sorta finale. It's a summary of a lot of the sorrow and optimism presented throughout the album, bringing forward an awareness of it's own nihilistic view, and an unanswered question of where to go from here.

    Time's Blur carries us back across the gulf of time. We're leaving the lost transmissions of some long lost era behind, their echoes stretched thin--distorted and beautiful all at once. It's both elegiac and uplifting. Despite how humble time's blur makes us feel, there's a sort of beauty in it's energy.    … Expand
  5. Kemperb
    May 25, 2021
    8
    Long Lost starts off slow, but quickly transcends into something mysterious and nostalgically western
  6. liahnamario
    May 25, 2021
    10
    Lord Huron's sound is a nostalgic country rock in the Midwest that reflects a pleasurable melancholy that teleports me to a movie stage where I feel high
  7. LionInFLL
    Jul 7, 2021
    10
    There are few albums in recent memory that are so enjoyable from cover to cover. By a long mile, this is the pinnacle of Lord Huron's music. Nostalgic yet uniquely their own, you've heard these songs before but can't quite put your finger on them. They are gorgeously arranged. The penultimate "What Do It Mean" is lavishly produced yet could have been recorded live, with xylophone,There are few albums in recent memory that are so enjoyable from cover to cover. By a long mile, this is the pinnacle of Lord Huron's music. Nostalgic yet uniquely their own, you've heard these songs before but can't quite put your finger on them. They are gorgeously arranged. The penultimate "What Do It Mean" is lavishly produced yet could have been recorded live, with xylophone, coloratura, strings, and an earworm refrain that will leave you in the stars.… Expand
  8. Jeff-S
    May 30, 2021
    9
    Long Lost is the most complete album since Lonesome Dreams. But with every Lord Huron album there are great songs scattered within. Long Lost is very listenable and I love the interludes of a haunting presence of old television/radio. I wished they added a couple of rock tracks like Meet Me in the Woods or Back From the Edge, this album only has one; Not Dead Yet. I also wasn’t sureLong Lost is the most complete album since Lonesome Dreams. But with every Lord Huron album there are great songs scattered within. Long Lost is very listenable and I love the interludes of a haunting presence of old television/radio. I wished they added a couple of rock tracks like Meet Me in the Woods or Back From the Edge, this album only has one; Not Dead Yet. I also wasn’t sure where the ambient track was going but it blends very well when listening the album in song order. My favorite album of 2021.… Expand
  9. jasonelman5
    Jul 18, 2021
    10
    Writing this review months out from the release. Unquestionably my album of the year. Holds up and keeps drawing me back to it.
  10. jackaz15
    May 28, 2021
    9
    "Long Lost" sounds like the Twin Peaks soundtrack, if the show were about a ghost doing heroin at a Nashville dive bar in the '70s.

    Lonesome Dreams > Vide Noir > Long Lost > Strange Trails
  11. borgespedro
    Aug 23, 2022
    10
    um dos meus álbuns favoritos de todos os tempos. letras e melodias cativantes.
  12. Antney12
    Jun 20, 2021
    10
    Album of the year for me! I’m not even waiting ‘til the end of 2021 haha
  13. moonpie1979
    May 28, 2021
    9
    There's evidently something of a loose concept running through Long Lost - it seems to be taking place on an old television or radio musical showcase at some unspecified point in time that hints at the late 1950s or early 1960s. Something akin to The Grand Ole Opry show I guess. Short snippets of a presenter's voice are interwoven between some of the songs - the speech often woozy andThere's evidently something of a loose concept running through Long Lost - it seems to be taking place on an old television or radio musical showcase at some unspecified point in time that hints at the late 1950s or early 1960s. Something akin to The Grand Ole Opry show I guess. Short snippets of a presenter's voice are interwoven between some of the songs - the speech often woozy and warped, like it's part of a dream. This intriguing concept allows the band to take on a variety of styles, as if in character. 'Not Dead Yet' has a vague Elvis feel. 'I Lied' comes across like a George and Tammy duet. The title track and album standout is a luscious Roy Orbison-esque heartwarmer. Anyone expecting to hear some of the spikier, rockier moments from previous album Vide Noir being replicated here might just be a little disappointed - rather, it's a warm, countrified, slightly melancholy and highly nostalgic collection which, for all its dipping of toes into different styles, is terrifically coherent. Repeated listens are most definitely rewarded. The album closes with a truly gorgeous, if rather sombre, 15 minute instrumental, rounding off what is the best album so far from Lord Huron, and one of the all round best albums of 2021.… Expand
  14. NWLondon
    Aug 21, 2021
    10
    This is my favourite album of the year so far. I listen to this album, end 2 end on heavy rotation and it never disappoints.
  15. Greenapple1990
    May 26, 2021
    10
    This album is honestly astonishing. The composition and attention to detail in the production is mind-blowing - and they did it all themselves! Listen to details like the faint ghostly whistling at the end of "Twenty Long Years", the tumbling drums when the roll of thunder is described in "Drops In The Lake", the Elvis-inspired "u-huhs" tucked away in "Mine Forever". The album has been onThis album is honestly astonishing. The composition and attention to detail in the production is mind-blowing - and they did it all themselves! Listen to details like the faint ghostly whistling at the end of "Twenty Long Years", the tumbling drums when the roll of thunder is described in "Drops In The Lake", the Elvis-inspired "u-huhs" tucked away in "Mine Forever". The album has been on repeat for a week and I'm still discovering endless little details, flourishes and nods to music from by-gone eras. Not to mention the 14-minute closer, "Time's Blur" hiding all manner of references and nods to the preceding tracks of the album. Ben is a creative genius and this has immediately become one of my (if not THE) favourite album(s) of all time.

    Melodically, the album is beautiful - it is on the more forlorn side of their discography for sure but if dark western / sad cowboy vibes are your thing you will love it, with the odd knee-slapper thrown in like "Not Dead Yet" or "Love Me Like You Used To".

    Lyrically, it is much of the same that you have previously heard from Lord Huron, but that's why we love it! Doomed romance, mystery, adventure, nihilism and death all tumble together to create an engaging and beautiful album journey that is best experienced from start to finish.

    I could honestly gush about this album all day, I haven't even started on the beautiful hand painted art included in the physical versions, created by Ben himself, nor the incredibly fun campaign leading up to release which included 4x episodes of a Twin Peaks-style web series made up of renditions of old songs, teasers of new material and an introduction to some of the characters that reside in the LH universe (we got to meet George Ranger Johnson!). There was also a digital séance to coax out an album preview, hidden album sleeve promotions in participating stores and even a number of fictional "Whispering Pine" artist albums, complete with actual profiles and music of their own on spotify!

    The whole thing from campaign to the album itself has just been an absolute joy and has firmly cemented Lord Huron as my "favourite artist" and one that I think everyone should listen to.    … Expand
  16. Kumu
    Jun 1, 2021
    10
    It is very soothing and calm. After a very stressful day it brings me peace.
  17. Mesmer
    Aug 21, 2021
    10
    Haunting, mysterious, surreal, absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. Ben takes you through a journey of regrets, longing, self realization and desire through the echos of a rich universe which seems both known and completely foreign at once. You feel completely immersed in the dreamscape of invented memories and seemingly familiar visuals, leaving you completely unaware that thisHaunting, mysterious, surreal, absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. Ben takes you through a journey of regrets, longing, self realization and desire through the echos of a rich universe which seems both known and completely foreign at once. You feel completely immersed in the dreamscape of invented memories and seemingly familiar visuals, leaving you completely unaware that this time and place has been seductively implanted into your subconsciousness. Affecting on the deepest level, gloriously mystifying and captivating.… Expand
  18. AdiDelRey
    Oct 25, 2021
    10
    This is just something the world needed for a very long time, unfortunately they are so underrated
  19. lwtos
    Nov 2, 2021
    8
    You dont have to be a folk lover to like this album. It's really great at all!

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Album of 2021
57
#57 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. AllMusic
    May 28, 2021
    80
    Agreeable yet melancholic and peppered with moments of cinematic Lynch-ian weirdness, it's the purest and most satisfying distillation of Lord Huron's pastoral folk-pop to date, and the perfect soundtrack for a road trip to nowhere.
    Read full review
  2. musicOMH.com
    May 26, 2021
    80
    While there may not be anything to rival their breakout hit The Night We Met for ubiquity, much of the band’s fourth album sounds like the sort of warm hug that many people are desperately searching out for right now.
    Read full review
  3. Mojo
    May 24, 2021
    80
    The music - a little Lumineers, a little Fleet Foxes - stands up for itself. [Jul 2021, p.88]
See all critic reviews »