buggietown

In this album, Powers puts his sunglasses on and lights a cigarette. I feel like I hear him stretching his arms out as wide as he can, bringing in every element of inspiration with a level of mastery and cohesion that sets Youth Lagoon so far apart from his peers. This record sounds like opening up a beside drawer and rummaging through memories, dreams, conversations, intimate moments, coming across things you weren’t supposed to see, coming to terms with hard truths. It’s like a ... read more

Coming 8 years later, this album fittingly feels like Powers has matured. Opening on a cool, calm, yet dancily paced track, “Rabbit,” our narrator takes on a air of wisdom without any hint of pompousness that I may have accused him of on his previous record. The growth here is that the songs are laden with Youth Lagoon’s signature weird, warped, reflective sounds, yet achieve a level of sing-along-able-ness that Powers previous best tracks never had. Maybe Youth Lagoon can ... read more

This album takes on a smokey saloon by day, nightclub by night persona. It also leaves Powers’ voice much more exposed than the previous two albums, almost unflatteringly so. The metal style breakdown at the end of the first track alludes to the confused sonic energy that persists throughout the project. Lyrically, it creates a sort of hero character, leaning into themes of rising up from difficult circumstances, learning hard knocks lessons, battling inner battles of good and evil. Feels ... read more

This album is remains dreamy, but leans more into a funhouse nightmare vibe. The demons aren’t necessarily trying to catch you and eat you, but they are trying to lull you into their lair to teach you a very important lesson. You don’t come out the same as when you went in. Its instrumentation is very childlike and playful. The vocals still evoke a yearning, but never cries. Lyrically it paints distorted images, communicating a theme of being lost, frightened, maybe a little turned ... read more