I really wasn’t a fan of Youth Lagoon‘s debut. I see why Shufflers love him, but lo-fi is anathema in my house, and that much reverb masks the emotional intimacy I look for in an artist’s vocals. So, if it wasn’t for this cover by Astronauts, etc I might have missed out on Youth Lagoon’s spectacular lyrics for “17.”
Astronauts, etc. strip out the distracting delicacy of Youth Lagoon’s piano arrangements and remove the reverb to bring the vocals front and center. His vocals waft in like a fog over the cold lake that is your heart and forces you to turn mentally inward, marveling at the beauty within.
I’ve listened to it on repeat for days now, and it hits me like an emotional 1-2 punch every time. It’s perfect for those moments when life is weary and you need a shot in the arm to keep going. And remember, “never stop imagining, the day that you do is the day that you die.”
Follow him over at his SoundCloud to keep abreast of his new music.