Released 9/25/2015
5/7 Stars
For fans of: Broken Bells, The National
Youth Lagoon’s third album, Savage Hills Bedroom envelopes the listener in a fleeting and tenuous world. Trevor Powers, the man behind the music, created the album after a friend passed away. Uncertainty plays a heavy hand in the melodies and instrumentals; Powers wavers between a high falsetto and a more assured narration at moments. “We all had a voice / We had a name,” he tells in “Highway Patrol Stun Gun,” one of the easiest songs to transition into. “The Knower” picks up with a brassy section against the synthesizers that are steady on the other tracks. “No One Can Tell” paints a vivid picture of a ballroom and a fight between emotions and reality, a poignant and emotional tale. Traumatic incidences weave into the stories he plays on Savage Hills Bedroom, making an appearance in “Kerry,” a song about his uncle overdosing. Powers ends on a soft note with “X-Ray,” an easy instrumental track. It’s easy to be caught in the hazy and atmospheric lives he intertwines in the brief 36-minute record; the perfect soundtrack for loss of leaves and motivation (or, in other words, winter time).
Recommended listening: “Highway Patrol Stun Gun,” “No One Can Tell,” “The Knower,” “Rotten Human”
https://play.spotify.com/album/2REi0vGs8rCaFms8lVwZzk
