Youth Lagoon
Wondrous Bughouse
Fat Possum
Street: 03.05
Youth Lagoon = Animal Collective (Strawberry Jam era) + CocoRosie/The Antlers
The dense and trippy world Trevor Powers invites listeners into appears to be an extravagant show. It seems that he wants to appear much more than a lo-fi bedroom artist, but upon listening to the opening track, “Mute,” I can feel Power’s sincerity, even if he does secretly crave being weird. Powers states, “The devil tries to play my mind, but he can’t quite get inside.” Despite the contrasting highs and lows in message and music, Powers provides production that’s wondrous and new. The guitars on “Mute” soar among the keyboard, only to be brought back down by creaky synths that cause the music to inspire and sadden simultaneously. The percussion on “Raspberry Cane” is notable with its poignant drum claps. The closing song is a space trip that’s worth listening to with eyes shut.