Ben Schneider's exploration of existential questions is central to Lord Huron's new album, "The Cosmic Selector: Vol. 1." The album features 27 question marks throughout its lyrics, indicative of the band's idiosyncratic poetic style. Collaborator Kristen Stewart enhances the theme with her presence in the song "Who Laughs Last" and its accompanying video. Schneider’s self-reflection in songs like "Life is Strange" showcases his connection with fans, emphasizing a communal bond with fellow oddities. Despite the band's commercial success with notable tracks like "The Night We Met," Schneider expresses humility and disbelief in their journey.
In a song released ahead of Lord Huron's new album, the frontman/guitarist wonders, via impassioned vocals with a tinge of desperation, "if no one lives forever, who laughs last?" The query is repeated, monotone into a payphone, by actor Kristen Stewart, who appears on the song and in the David Lynch-ian fever dream of a video for "Who Laughs Last."
A search of "The Cosmic Selector: Vol. 1" lyrics reveals 27 question marks across six of the band's 12 new songs. From the title "Is There Anybody Out There?" to the lyrics "living infinite lives / are they mine?" from "It All Comes Back," Schneider asks ineffable questions in poignant songs often imbued with quirky, understated profundity.
Schneider says, perched on a stool in his nearly empty house, a guitar case containing his well-used 1991 Gibson Dove acoustic at his feet. While Lord Huron's multiplatinum single, 2015's "The Night We Met," is one of Spotify's Top 30 streamed songs of all time, and the band will headline hometown arena the Kia Forum in November, Schneider still evinces a believable disbelief about Lord Huron's success.
Schneider often writes from the POV of characters, but the lyrics "life is strange and so am I" seem self-referential. "All the weirdos out there, I love you. Strange-ers, you too" reflects his acceptance and affection for those who identify as different.
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