22 year old Trevor Powers has the kind of sensitive withdrawn genius that makes for immensely compelling bedroom music projects - and that's exactly what you find in Youth Lagoon's debut album The Year of Hibernation. Powers wrote the album about all of the things he has a hard time expressing because of his anxiety - talking about it, he felt he wouldn't make sense to people, but musical expression was the perfect outlet for him.
"For my whole life I've dealt with extreme anxiety." he says. "Not anxiety about passing a test or somewhat normal things, but weird.. bizarre things. Things that only I know. I sometimes feel like I'm literally being eaten up inside. So I started writing these songs. Not just songs about my anxiety, but about my past and my present. Songs about memories, and all those feelings that those bring. I know that if I can be honest about what is inside my mind, there will be others that will be able to relate to it."
Personally, Traver Powers and my 16 year old self would definitely have more than a lot in common, which might explain why I love his album so much. But even if you can't relate, we should all be glad that he has found such a perfect outlet for his self expression - it really is a very special gift.
Youth Lagoon plays at Mercury Lounge in NYC on November 14th and 15th and The Year Of Hibernation is out now on Fat Possum records.
Youth Lagoon - Posters