Every once in a great while a great record comes out of nowhere and amazes critics, bloggers and listeners alike. The album is from an unheralded voice of indie rock that has a rag to riches story about their struggle to record the album. As time goes on the album continues to rise in fame and soon begins to define the time it was released. It happened to Broken Social Scene. It happened to Arcade Fire. It happened to Bon Iver. And now it’s happening for Youth Lagoon, the band name for 22-year-old Trevor Powers. Now a college dropout from Boise State, Powers is touring the country on the strength of his new LP The Year of Hibernation.
From beginning to end Hibernation shines as not only one of the best albums of the year, but also one of the best of the decade thus far. Powers has the type of talent that comes along only rarely in this generation. It’s not that the songs are particularly unique or original. It’s just that Powers makes the listener believe that they’re hearing the songs for the first time. Album opener “Posters” sounds like it came straight from a Broken Social Scene record while album standout “Seventeen” is reminiscent of both Bon Iver and James Blake. Each song on the album demands a second lesson and each listen proves to be even more rewarding than the last. It’s rare that an artist in this day and age can make listeners want to not only buy the whole album to see how each song fits in among the others, but to also continue listening long after the album has lost relevance on the Internet. Another stellar song off the album, “Day Dream” mixes MGMT like beats with Powers already trademark low-fi, shoe gazing sound. The song doesn’t hit you over the head with its beauty and simplicity. It’s understated and extravagant all at the same time.
What truly draws the listener in to Powers album is his ability to combine a low-fi melody with lyrics that resonate from all corners. If the consensus is that the best music comes straight from the heart, Powers has enough songs to last a decent sized career. He may just be a 22-year-old kid sitting in his basement singing about his daily life, but that doesn’t mean the music is any less heartbreaking and beautiful.
Have a listen to Cannons below and head over to Spin to listen to the entire album. The Year of Hibernation drops September 27 on Fat Possum Records.
