Observe-by-Observe Evaluate: Youth Lagoon, ‘Not often Do I Dream’

After ending his tour in assist of 2023’s Heaven Is a Junkyard, Trevor Powers stumbled upon a shoebox of residence movies from his childhood in his dad and mom’ basement. It’s no shock, given his textured, self-reflective method to songwriting, that audio samples from the tapes would find yourself on his subsequent album as Youth Lagoon, Not often Do I Dream. Powers’ strongest software, nonetheless, isn’t nostalgia however juxtaposition, which he employs to harden the road between the innocence of childhood and the violent currents of at present, between juvenile goals and intoxicated fantasies, obliviousness and creativeness; and to diffuse it, too. The file additionally finds Powers making a few of his most dynamic – and dynamically sequenced – songs so far, which solely underlines the thematic contrasts. For each pillowy melody and irresistible refrain, there’s a tragic story that’s exhausting to chew, characters with murky backgrounds, reminiscences that may’t be erased. It’s relentless and revitalizing – proof that no matter Powers does subsequent would possibly look to the previous, however will hardly seem like the factor that got here earlier than.

1. Neighborhood Scene

The scene is hazy but inviting; the piano delicate, the drums easily snapping into place. There’s not a lot distance drawn between the sampled audio and the innocence of Powers’ hushed voice and poetry, not till the disarming line, “Elvis lit the bomb.” The chorus of “Mild it up” feels like “la-de-da,” brilliantly introducing Powers’ knack for blurring the road between what he is aware of now and the way he remembers his thoughts wandering. The guitars get grungier, the synths fuzzier, portray over celebratory reminiscences with a tinge of horror.

2. Velocity Freak

I don’t know if Powers had the concept for ‘Velocity Freak’ written down earlier than discovering the appropriate synth lead, however its stressed, jittery tone immediately captures the vibe of the music’s protagonist. It “got here from a thought I had of giving the angel of demise a hug,” in accordance Powers, although, after all, a dream is much more what it feels like. (A kind of uncommon ones, I suppose.) You’ll be able to’t actually inform who the pace freak is, or why they’re the one apologizing – although it’s important to be struck be a line like, “The engine thundering/ by way of each mountain I can steer.” Extra than simply waxing poetic, Powers revs up the music, too.

3. Soccer

A sure weariness seeps into Powers’ voice on ‘Soccer’, which hews nearer to the dreamlike environment of Heaven Is a Junkyard after the buzzing pulse of ‘Velocity Freak’. “And also you instructed me I used to be stayin’ sturdy/ When all I’ve completed is play alongside ,” he sings, presenting the theme of resilience as sport, after which, sport as faith. Powers’ present for framing songs as quick tales shines by way of right here, notably within the second, for lack of a greater phrase, verse. Nevertheless it additionally feels startlingly private – Powers repurposing the acquainted language of his youth to commune again with the characters in his residence movies.

4. Gumshoe (Dracula From Arkansas)

On the finish of the music, a voice mutters one thing about this being what life is admittedly like; or, as Powers sings extra poetically, “life’s a baseball bat to the jaw.” (Once more, a sports activities metaphor does the heavy lifting.) The music is in regards to the summer time that taught him that, and he lays out the scenes he needs he by no means noticed, for the true first time on the file, in morbid element. On the similar time, a weight is lifted off him, and his heavenly voice rises above the primary vocal, which retains quivering on the reminiscences. A keenness persists regardless of the mad devils that surrounded him. And even, he admits, an actual freedom.

5. Seersucker

Once we grieve as kids, fairytale villains can present up anyplace: “A wolf is within the shepherd’s pie,” Powers sings. He informs us of the yr he – the particular person within the audio pattern, we will solely assume – handed, the chorus of “We’re doing alright” reverberating within the years that observe. The piano, by now a trademark of Youth Lagoon’s sound, has maybe by no means performed a extra important function in his music. “Each music that Momma wrote/ Pop discovered to play/ When the previous piano broke/ The music went away.” You’ll be able to hear it hanging there like a knot in his throat.

6. Lucy Takes a Image

Like snapping an image, the pizzicato strings threaded by way of this early album single has the impact of suspending a second in time. Powers doesn’t totally articulate it till the ultimate verse, which finds him softly intoning phrases it feels like he’s been on the lookout for his complete life: “And we catch a bit of breeze/ Once I catch you within the dust/ And I really feel the autumn die/ And the winter maintain its preserve/ I can see it in your breath/ I can style it in your cheek.” You’ll be able to hear it within the music, one of the resplendent he’s ever laid to tape.

7. Excellent World

The album switches gears as soon as once more, however don’t let the title idiot you: ‘Excellent World’ just isn’t solely essentially the most eruptive music on right here, but in addition one of many least idyllic. It’s a deep reduce that makes you pay shut consideration: nonetheless piercingly melodic and narratively wealthy, but in addition wreathed in distortion.

8. My Stunning Lady

From the knottiest, loudest music on the album to its easiest, sweetest piano ballad: on this planet of Not often Do I Dream, it makes whole sense. ‘My Stunning Lady’ begins with the narrator’s sole motion: “I maintain your hand…” All the pieces that follows is remark, understanding, and pure admiration. Not like different ladies talked about on the album, this one stays anonymous, however he notices the methods her household is in disarray, too – the loudness of damaged properties that beg the music to be quiet. And exquisite, after all.

9. Canary

After the emotional directness of ‘My Stunning Lady’, ‘Canary’ is tougher to sink into, darkly enigmatic but entrancing. Darkness materializes in playful methods, too, Powers remind us, however that doesn’t make the environment any much less foreboding. “Halloween and selfmade alchohol,” he sings, which may function the music’s subtitle.

10. Parking Lot

Right here, the audio pattern is positioned not at the start however proper because the music’s groove flips from a twinkle to a shuffle, a daring transfer that’s sufficient to justify its inclusion on the album, although it bears much less weight than those that come earlier than.

11. Saturday Cowboy Matinee

The protagonist of ‘Velocity Freak’ steers mountains; the one in ‘Saturday Cowboy Matinee’ desires to be one. It comes from a spot of delirium that, by this level on the album, is acquainted however all of the extra pronounced; the medication much less and fewer a part of the subtext, extra violently foregrounded. It’s virtually just like the mere point out of them is sufficient to set off one other audio pattern, a strong but futile invocation of blissful ignorance. With its trip-hop affect, the music is a little bit of a sonic outlier, but in addition one other welcome change of tempo.

12. House Films (1989 – 1993)

On this collage of voice recordings, one finally rings out: “Say, ‘That is Trevor’s story.’” It’s true, nevertheless it’s additionally, on the finish of the day, an instruction: a framing system handed down from generations so our lives make extra sense, so we will look again and cross-reference with ease. We are able to spend each waking day documenting our lives; we will dig into the archives; we will select the easter eggs, laying them out for others to unpack. We are able to even weave some fiction in for the hell of it. However that doesn’t cease us being hunters of our tales, not tellers. If Not often Do I Dream clings to any type of reality, it’s that there’s nonetheless peace to be discovered within the rubble. And like all piece of us that is still, phrases can hardly do it justice.