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Welcome To Power’s Superior Dwelling: Youth Lagoon’s Wondrous Bughouse
by Charissa Lock
22 seconds in and I am sold. How can you explain that moment where these beautifully obscure noises go to a place that is so emotionally pleasing and exactly where you want them without even knowing what’s happening? That Cymbals Eat Guitars “Indiana” moment strikes and you want your body to follow your intoxicated mind into a deep portal of infinite exuberance. Your newly satisfied soul melts, pouring through your body making you weightless.
With every transition, Youth Lagoon aka Devin Powers, pulls your hand, guiding you through hallways of richly layered instrumentation, and by rooms filled with lengthy and intricate melodies, to which you will revisit later in your journey of Wondrous Bughouse [Fat Possum Records]. Musically the MGMT Celebration correlation is evident with quirky bells and whistles among funhouse melodies (“Attic Doctor”). Though stemming from a trance-like fuzzy nature, everything seems perfectly placed with well-planned sporadic moments. The genius behind creating an oxymoron of generous proportions is what makes artists like Devin Powers or Joseph D’Agostino superior in fostering a complete unification of emotion and music.
As this tour progresses you find moments that will be re-entered through passages of melodies or instrumentation so that you never leave the dwellings of Bughouse. There is a five-key melody strategically intertwined into the entire album, sometimes barely audible (“Mute”) other times predominate (“Dropla”) or sped up (“Pelican Man”). Yet, as I’m finding these connections, I’m now barraged with newer ones, as if Powers has highlighted every melody of one musical thought into each song. Another finding is that upon listening to tracks and then looking back at their titles (a bit atypical), the thought of “Oh yeah, that fits the song perfectly” appears. Because frankly, how else could a song titled “Attic Doctor” truly sound?
While you’re unable to leave these quarters, boredom never strikes. With quieter moments (“The Bath”) calming and allowing time to take a breath, you then find yourself in an increased tempo and at 1:24 of “Raspberry Cane,” the profound beat makes an introduction and sends satisfaction spewing delicately into your conscious. The influence Powers has used for this album must reach all aspects of his past, subconscious, and present life. For example, the intro to “Third Dystopia” reminds me of a slowed sped up version of “The Longer Ranger” theme song, causing the visualization of Powers taking everything he’s ever heard and then creating perfect combinations with it all.
Such a brilliant world we are gently welcomed into, how enchanting every track is in its own fantastical way. Breathing life into every aspect of your soul with skillful electronic persuasion, Youth Lagoon’s Wondrous Buhouse will continue to be uncovered upon every admittance.
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TAGS: April 14th @ El Ray, seems like a Pieces, Moe at Fonda Fri and Sat, still love “Montana“, Boise, Tyler T. Williams