Youth Lagoon : Rarely Do I Dream

Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, seems to be making up for lost time. After taking a several years hiatus from his main music project and releasing records under his own name, Powers brought Youth Lagoon back into the sunlight. It seems a serious health crisis put things into stark perspective and allowed Trevor to see himself in a new light. 2023s Heaven Is A Junkyard was a triumphant return to form with beautifully written and emotionally raw songs from a singular artist.

Not wasting any time, Youth Lagoon is back in action with the striking and thoughtful Rarely Do I Dream. A beautifully scuzzy collection of electronica, fuzzy guitars, and narrated by family home movies. It’s a poignant record, and at times quite moving.

Trevor Powers found a box of videotapes in his parents basement while looking for a pre-WWII harmonica that belonged to his grandmother. Upon putting the first one in a player he discovered he and his brother at the county fair, with Powers at the ripe old age of 4. That started a journey into his past watching a treasure trove of his childhood locked onto now ancient media. As Powers put it, ” “I was like a ghost in a lost memory,” and realizing “I wanted to make an album that feels like life itself…”.

Musically this record swings a little differently than the folks-y singer/songwriter fare of Heaven Is A Junkyard. “Neighborhood Scene” opens on dream-like vibes with almost trip hop drums and distant piano while voices from the past rise to the surface. It’s as if Massive Attack went for a more indie pop vibe than the darker fare they built. “Speed Freak” is all fuzzy bass and electronic rhythms as Powers keeps his voice understated, the song taking on an alternative 80s vibe ala Depeche Mode or early NIN.

In contrast there’s the gorgeous, sunlit “Lucy Takes A Picture” harkening back to a time when Bruce Hornsby and Michael Penn could have radio hits. “My Beautiful Girl” is a short but sweet piano-led song, while “Parking Lot” floats along on melancholy keys and distorted drums.

Over the course of 12 songs Trevor Powers takes us on a journey into his past, quite literally, being narrated by his family. With ornate production and his whispered, sensitive vocals Rarely Do I Dream proves an intimate, heavy, and emotional record.