Youth Lagoon’s new single “My Beautiful Girl” brings haunting Americana to life

News

8 Oct

Youth Lagoon, the project of one of our all-time favourites Idaho’s Trevor Powers, has returned with a spellbinding new track, "My Beautiful Girl". Released alongside a limited edition 7” single via Fat Possum, this ethereal offering is accompanied by a beautifully unsettling music video directed by Regrets Only. Backed by the earlier-released “Lucy Takes A Picture”, the new single adds another layer of nostalgia-tinged melancholy to Powers’ already diverse discography.

"My Beautiful Girl" follows Heaven Is a Junkyard, the 2023 album that marked Powers’s first full-length release as Youth Lagoon in eight years. With Heaven Is a Junkyard, Powers crafted a warped vision of Americana, marrying minimalist piano melodies to static-laden electronics, and “My Beautiful Girl” seems to follow in those hushed yet expansive footsteps. The song sees Powers channelling his introspective side, delivering lyrics that explore the fragile nature of love and memory.

Built around a skeletal piano motif, "My Beautiful Girl" unfolds like a short film, blending personal confessions with surreal imagery. “A dollar-store, rubber Jesus on the mantle/You stash your pills at the bottom of his sandals/His feet are wearing away,” he sings, his delicate vocals wrapped in ghostly reverb and buoyed by the gentle sway of upright bass. The track’s production, overseen by co-producer Rodaidh McDonald, is as stark as it is haunting, offering just enough space for Powers’ words to resonate.

As with many of Youth Lagoon’s songs, "My Beautiful Girl" seems plucked from the corners of a half-remembered dream. Powers describes stumbling across inspiration for the track during a visit to an abandoned cemetery in Idaho City.

As Powers states:

"There’s a near-ghost town in western Idaho called Idaho City — about 30 minutes from home. I go there often to swim in the river, pray, and be alone in the country. Last time I went, I hiked through the cemetery (known as ‘Boothill’ ‘cuz of all the miners that died with their boots on) and saw a gravestone in darkness and dry weeds that said only, “My Beautiful Girl.” No name. No dates. Just love. Who was this beautiful girl? The portal opened, and I wrote down the message.”

The accompanying video for "My Beautiful Girl" heightens this eerie atmosphere, featuring long, lingering shots that mirror the song’s contemplative pace. Much like the song itself, the visuals toe the line between reality and fiction, leaving the viewer questioning where one ends and the other begins. It’s a testament to Powers’ ability to craft music that’s both intimate and elusive, drawing listeners in while keeping a distance.

With Heaven Is a Junkyard, Powers seemed to ground his stories in the rough-and-tumble realities of suburban life, hinting at hidden dramas behind closed doors. On "My Beautiful Girl", he turns that focus inward, examining love and loss through a deceptively simple lens. The result is a song that feels deeply personal, yet universal in its yearning.

The new 7” single, limited to just 300 copies, serves as a reminder of Youth Lagoon’s singular place within the indie landscape. Whether through whispered piano ballads or sprawling soundscapes, Powers’ music always seeks to find beauty in the broken and the forgotten. With "My Beautiful Girl", he’s delivered yet another gem—one that’s sure to linger in the mind long after the last note fades.

Get the new “My Beautiful Girl” 7” single, and watch the mesmerising video for the track: