Rarely Do I Dream

This is Trevor Powers fifth album under the Youth Lagoon moniker, and the second since his return in 2023 with Heaven Is a Junkyard after a seven-year hiatus. Rarely Do I Dream finds him elbow-deep in his own universe, rummaging about in the quiet wonder of the ordinary, finding joy where others might only see the humdrum. The opening track greets you with a shuffling drum pattern, a bit of old home movie chatter, and a dash of lo-fi warmth, like something half-remembered. The delightful “Speed Freak” comes along with its distorted bassline and clattering percussion, all wrapped up in that charming hiss you only get from a cassette tape. A proper nod to the DIY spirit. Then, of course, there’s “Parking Lot”—a piano ballad that reframes the mundane with a kind of wistful romance. “What a parking lot,” Powers muses. “Eight little spaces/Don’t let him lose/Let him cruise for the spot.” It’s tender, it’s beautiful. And, just like that, he turns a car park into a place of reverence. Funny, isn’t it?