Do yourself a favor and listen to these with good headphones or speakers, not computer speakers.

Boise, ID native Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, broke onto the scene this past year with his debut album, The Year of Hibernation. A hazy, self-produced aesthetic is combined with lyrics of childhood nostalgia and exploration that accounts for a remarkable debut effort. As one reviewer noted, “The record mixes feelings of protection and safety with the tug of adventure and wraps it in compulsively listenable music that explodes at just the right moments.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Anyways, you may ask ‘why now?’ Seeing that the album was released in September. Well, recently, Tyler T. Williams turned his creative genius to make a video for The Year of Hibernation standout “July.” The song, about a failing relationship, is an emotional journey that slowly builds musically, layer by layer, to a crescendo that breaks for a soft letdown to the finish. Take a look at the eerie video below, although be warned, you may never think of nosebleeds the same.

The video for “July” also gives me an excuse to post Tyler T. Williams’ first video for Youth Lagoon, “Montana.” Another surging tune that again builds with emotion and matching layers is accompanied by this stunning video. I am not sure if I have ever seen so much poignancy packed into a 5 minute music video (which regretfully disqualifies “Trapped in the Closet“). But seriously, this video really is powerful, check it out.

Youth Lagoon is currently on tour, so I definitely recommend grabbing a cheap ticket if Powers is in your area (Boston/NYC in March, Cali in April.)