The Year of Hibernation
by Youth Lagoon
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 54
  3. Negative: 1 out of 54
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  1. ResonantPassage
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    It is a story and concept that seems to be the trend nowadays in indie music. Kid creates lo-fi music in his bedroom on his own, and then somehow becomes a surprise success. At first glance, it seems Youth Lagoonâ
  2. geoff_hano
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    I moved halfway across the US when this album came out. I had just graduated college and was making a big change in my life. Every step of that transition (especially the 13 hour drive down), this album was with me, just as God was with me (and the music, for me, reminded me of this). A few months later, my friend and I had the privilege of seeing Trevor play in my new resident city. TheI moved halfway across the US when this album came out. I had just graduated college and was making a big change in my life. Every step of that transition (especially the 13 hour drive down), this album was with me, just as God was with me (and the music, for me, reminded me of this). A few months later, my friend and I had the privilege of seeing Trevor play in my new resident city. The show was sold out, but after hanging outside and making friends with the staff, we were allowed in. The feeling I had perfectly matched the music he played. We spent the next three hours after the show hanging out with him, just the three of us. He was such a happy kid, but with a lot of thoughts swirling around in his head--again, this translates onto the album. This album is incredible, perfectly capturing the feeling you have when the world is wide open to you, and you must decide what to do with it (which is both exciting and nerve-wracking). I told him my favorite song was The Hunt, the last track, and he said "Me too. I cried while I was recording the keys for that." You can hear the passion--not even necessarily in the vocals. If you're familiar with this album, you'd have believed him too.… Expand
  3. jyo_tirmaya
    Mar 13, 2013
    8
    This music works for me in so many different ways. I can really relate to Power's sense of hibernation. It's one of the things I do best. Go out about town (Chicago) and then come home 3 hours later to take in what it is I saw and felt as I moved about here and there. I had no idea this came out in 2011. How did I miss it? Fortunately, his "Wondrous Bughouse" came out to good reviews andThis music works for me in so many different ways. I can really relate to Power's sense of hibernation. It's one of the things I do best. Go out about town (Chicago) and then come home 3 hours later to take in what it is I saw and felt as I moved about here and there. I had no idea this came out in 2011. How did I miss it? Fortunately, his "Wondrous Bughouse" came out to good reviews and I liked what I heard when I streamed it. These are two totally different albums in that Power's seems to have added confidence in his music the second time around. Both of the albums are wondrous coming from a young man of only 21 years of age, especially with this album sounding like a project he made in his bedroom, but, yet, it's better than a lot of polished music, which I'm hearing so far this year, being made in big studios with lots of money. Highly Recommended!… Collapse
  4. jonahp
    Sep 4, 2012
    8
    The atmosphere Trevor Powers creates is entrancing and wistful. There are times when you want to hear more than a few phrases. The vocals are buried behind the layers of keyboards, but this helps them become daydreams instead of poems. Promising start from a one-man band that pays homage to Bradford Cox and Connor Oberst. As he gains confidence in his singing, it will be interesting toThe atmosphere Trevor Powers creates is entrancing and wistful. There are times when you want to hear more than a few phrases. The vocals are buried behind the layers of keyboards, but this helps them become daydreams instead of poems. Promising start from a one-man band that pays homage to Bradford Cox and Connor Oberst. As he gains confidence in his singing, it will be interesting to see if he can sustain the daydream-ing effect.… Expand
  5. GHopp8
    Oct 7, 2013
    8
    I really appreciate when someone can take a genre and established style of music and put their own unique twist into it, and with The Year of Hibernation, Youth Lagoon surely does this. Another great thing about this music, is that although the vocals are hazy, the emotion conveyed in the timbre of the instruments are vocals is enough to satisfy. All in all it's a solid chill album, and aI really appreciate when someone can take a genre and established style of music and put their own unique twist into it, and with The Year of Hibernation, Youth Lagoon surely does this. Another great thing about this music, is that although the vocals are hazy, the emotion conveyed in the timbre of the instruments are vocals is enough to satisfy. All in all it's a solid chill album, and a gem, not in the upper echelons, but worthy of high praise none-the-less.… Expand
  6. Winnerteacher
    May 29, 2023
    10
    Une pépite... Cet album se distingue de tout ce que l'on a déjà entendu. La voix, les instruments, la composition, les structures de chaque chanson... Tout respire la perfection d'un travail acharné. Tout ce que vous entendez dans cet album n'a jamais été entendu ailleurs. Ajoutez à cette force une capacité à dégager une puissance montante au cours de chaque chanson. L'énergie monte sansUne pépite... Cet album se distingue de tout ce que l'on a déjà entendu. La voix, les instruments, la composition, les structures de chaque chanson... Tout respire la perfection d'un travail acharné. Tout ce que vous entendez dans cet album n'a jamais été entendu ailleurs. Ajoutez à cette force une capacité à dégager une puissance montante au cours de chaque chanson. L'énergie monte sans cesse, le rythme restant le même... Vous ne savez plus parfois d'où la chanson a commencé... Un voyage auquel nous invite Youth Lagoon. À écouter au casque, en fermant les yeux et en vous laissant enivrer par ces mélodies émotionnellement intenses et prenantes. Si vous avez apprécié l'album dès sa première écoute, alors réécoutez le une deuxième, une troisième, une quatrième fois... Vous verrez que vous ne vous en passerez plus et que vous pourrez l'analyser à nouveau, toujours en découvrant quelque chose d'autre, toujours avec plus de passion à chaque écoute... Bon voyage !… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Mojo
    Jun 27, 2012
    60
    With the skeleton of a dance beat on Daydream, you can picture Powers doing a little skip around his bedroom, momentarily escaping the sad, hermetic beauty that characterises his record. [Jan 2012, p.96]
  2. Q Magazine
    Dec 15, 2011
    60
    This debut collection of lo-fi chillwave-esque electronics and introspective song fragments locates itself deftly between Animal Collective's strung-out post-rock and the drum machine-powered sketches of Casiotone For The Painfully Alone.[Dec. 2011 p. 137]
  3. cokemachineglow
    Nov 17, 2011
    67
    Powers definitely has the compositional wherewithal to make something special--he just has to put more of himself into it.
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