As Youth Lagoon, Trevor Powers (right, above) writes lonely, introspective bedroom pop that somehow makes you want to simultaneously hug him and dance with him. We caught Powers and Logan Hyde (left), who plays some excellent guitar with Powers live, at South by Southwest a few weeks ago and were surprised to find that they were one of our favorite live actsthat week. Surprised not because we hadn’t already heard great things—the polar opposite was true as his debut album, The Year of Hibernation, had been recommended to us over and over again. We were more surprised that someone who could easily be described as writing bedroom pop or even the overly coined chillwave could elicit such an emotional connection with his stage show.
Most of Powers’ songs follow a pretty predictable progression, starting out with soft, slow keys and then adding in his distinct, endearingly strained vocals to which guitars and pre-programmed beats then begin to layer up on until you’ve got a fairly driving piece of music, Powers’ voice having grown from pensive bleating to a clear-yet-still-restrained screech. Then the songs quickly tumble apart and show their vulnerable core just long enough to remind you that this is—still—a sad song. Formulaic, maybe, but why mess with Original Coke?
You can download his full-length or purchase the vinyl, CD,…or cassette (?) via Fat Possum Records. …if you end up going the cassette route, let us know how that ends up. For anyone else in the NYC area, Youth Lagoon will be opening for Death Cab for Cutie at the Beacon Theatre April 27, 28, and 29. So, that’ll probably be an intimate setting. More intimate—you listening to this week’s Song, “Bobby.”
Photo by Charles Bergquist. Below, YL’s video for their song, “Montana.”
