Make no mistake, a glance at the musical heritage of Trevor Powers – the man behind the moniker – reads no differently from the recent swathe of lone Americans producing warm pop from the lo-fi confines of their bedrooms. Not such a surprise, the clue’s in the title. But even for those who struggle to distinguish Washed Out from Active Child, The Year Of Hibernation represents an accessible entry point to a genre filled with intimate rewards.
That seems like a bizarre recommendation, but Powers uses genre broadstrokes – nostalgic lyrical territory, swooning melodies, hazy production and vocals that are as naive as they are distantly fuzzy – to great effect. At its best – namely the soft ebb of Cannons or the blossoming warble of Daydream – it uses contrast to great effect. Rhythms punch through with distinction against a cloud of keyboard splotches, while guitars ring out as if played in the next room. It leans – perhaps too heavily – on a structural tendency to swell into enveloping, wordless choruses, but intimacy is the goal here. If the sonic equivalent of a warm, fuzzy blanket sounds appealing, then there are few artists better to rug up with.
BY AL NEWSTEAD
Best Track: Daydream
If You Like These, You’ll Like This : Within And Without WASHED OUT, Player Piano MEMORY TAPES, You Are All I See ACTIVE CHILD
In A Word : Consoling
