Article by Jaxon Bennett
Rarely Do I Dream is the fifth album from Idaho musician Trevor Powers, also known as Youth Lagoon. The album is best described as alternative electronic with psychedelic elements. Power’s journey began when he discovered a collection of home videos in his parents’ basement. Powers incorporated snippets of these home videos into the songs and, in fact, listeners will notice that the lyrics on the final track of the album, Home Movies (1989-1993) are composed entirely of clips of home videos from the artist’s early childhood.
Before listening to this album, I had not heard of Youth Lagoon and was unsure of what to expect. I feared this would be a cheap imitation of iconic artists like Daft Punk and Radiohead. However, I am pleased to say that I was wrong. The performance that Powers puts on in this album is truly beautiful, combining the audio of the various videotapes with amazing lyrics, beautiful piano, and drums that never miss the beat in creating a phenomenal sound. The album is psychedelic, but still calming. While I was listening to this album, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and calmness as if I was truly safe, that nothing could go wrong and nothing bad could happen. The music of the album makes everything seem truly beautiful in a way that is a really positive experience for the listener.
All the songs on the album tend towards the same core sound of soft, almost ethereal, vocals combined with strong drums and various instruments. The song Seersucker stands out with a prominent trumpet and light piano, which combine with static VHS tape audio and bouncy bass to create a Jazz-like sound. Many of Rarely Do I Dream’s songs are very calm, some having an almost cinematic vibe, and Seersucker is no exception. With such a concise sound, I wouldn’t be surprised if a clever director chose to include this song into a movie.
The song Gumshoe (Dracula from Arkansas) has such a beautiful sound and I can see it being used as a montage of the main characters’ everyday life and daily activities pass by on the screen. Speed Freak, the second song on the album, begins with a video game-inspired sound combined with a soft echoey voice. The song maintains that beat and creates a sound that is perfect for those looking to have a cinematic driving experience.
This was such a fun album to listen to and I would highly recommend listening to it if you are a fan of cinematic music or psychedelia. The songs flow very naturally into one another so if you sit down to listen to it, you might listen to the entire album without realizing it. I really can’t say enough great things about this album. It was truly a great listen and I would definitely keep an eye out for future releases from Youth Lagoon.
⅘ rating
