The Predatory Wasp
Trevor Powers’ return as Youth Lagoon completed passed me by last year, the album’s inclusion on various end of year lists has prompted me to dive in. I really liked his last two albums under his own name, especially 2018’s Mulberry Violence, was a beautifully odd. Lux Radio Theatre isn’t the most exciting track on Heaven is a Junkyard, but it’s probably the prettiest.
Formerly known artistically as Youth Lagoon, Trevor Powers has now released two records under his own name, the latest being Capricorn: a sketchy, at times deeply paranoid and at others almost naively beautiful instrumental collection of songs. There’s a tapestraic quality to the album, which is peppered with field recordings and warped, hushed and time-stretched synths, halfway between Blood Orange and The Caretaker. Album closer 2166 is like the entire album compressed into a single track: a poignant piano line, ominous bass notes and something that was probably a vocal once upon a time before it was processed almost beyond all recognition. It’s a really impressive body of work, from an artist that seems to be doing it exactly the way they want.
The Predatory Wasp 