Youth Lagoon to play the Pabst Theater tonight

Trevor Powers has been releasing music under the Youth Lagoon moniker since 2010, serving as the group’s primary songwriter and contributor. His 2011 debut, The Year of Hibernation, received solid critical praise, gaining comparisons to indie mainstays Animal Collective and Deerhunter.

After two years, Powers returns with his sophomore effort, Wondrous Bughouse, and will be performing at the Pabst Theater this Thursday evening. Year of Hibernation was no doubt a strong debut, but repeating it a second time around would have made for a less-than-worthwhile follow up album.

Thankfully, Powers wasn’t afraid to take risks, and Wondrous Bughouse showcases a songwriter in a stage of growth, bringing to mind the more abstract moments of mid-period Beatles and “SMiLE”-era Beach Boys. Distant pianos and barely audible percussion gently resonate on “Through Mind and Back” before kicking into the album’s first proper track and lead single, the lushly orchestrated “Mute”. A simple, child-like melody guides the song for the first few minutes, developing into a much more complex instrumental work after the song’s halfway mark.

“You’ll never die”, Powers sings in repetition on “Dropia”, his hopeful words accompanied by swirly atmosphere and sleigh bells. “Raspberry Cane” is dense and textural, with a swinging drum groove laying a solid rhythmic foundation and building as the song eventually sails away on a sea of distortion and lo-fi reverb. I’ve written critically of artists who use reverb as a crutch, but Youth Lagoon, much like Beach House, uses reverb to enhance his songwriting. It’s the icing on the cake, really, and it makes Wondrous Bughouse sound like a technicolor psychedelic daydream.

Youth Lagoon returns to Milwaukee this Thursday evening at the Pabst Theater with special guest Pure X. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. Follow Sahan Jayasuriya on Instagram and Twitter.