I love, LOVE getting new music. As someone who likes to have background melodies playing during a decent amount of my life, it’s easy to burn out on new stuff. So whenever it comes my way, and it’s really, super good, I get mega-excited. (Can you tell I am drinking coffee as I type this? The qualifiers should be your first clue) Adam recently, nonchalantly sent over a new album The Year of Hibernation by Youth Lagoon. I wanted to fell all teen-pop excited about them (despite their music being decidedly not teen pop), but then I read this brief article about the youngster Trevor Powers who is the music box behind the sound. It’s actually quite sad. This album was created to help give a voice to extreme anxieties he feels on a daily basis that he was unable to vocalize or explain to his friends. And he’s only 22. Rather than resort to the heartless “his pain is our gain” mentality, perhaps I will bring a little more respect to each listening and admire the raw talent of this fresh face in the music scene.
The first time I listened to the full album, it felt so familiar. Not in the “it sounds like everything else” sort of way, but rather “it’s so great I feel like I’ve spent my whole life listening to music this good.” I don’t think artist can have that mentality when they produce a record, for that sort of ambition has a way of presenting itself to the listener (or if we’re talking about reading, because really it can happen there too, the reader) and it becomes a turn-off. Instead, the whole thing just feels very honest. And easy to listen to. A couple of my favorites:
A Broad At Home 