Trouble in Dreams

Today's Music of the Day is Destroyer's Trouble in Dreams. This is the most recent effort from one Daniel Bejar, having been released last year (though I'm not sure if it came before or after the New Pornographers' Challengers).

Bejar really pulls all the stops here - the guitar and piano compete for attention through the entire record, and there are some other strings, drums, and maybe even an organ that make appearances. Sometimes the guitar is fuzzy, but it generally defaults to a bright, smooth sound (unfortunately, in this catgun's opinion). Bejar himself is in fine form, with his vocals falling somewhere between Neil Diamond and Shatner.

The overall sound here is still a little too bright and breezy, and Bejar should probably be hit with a yardstick every time he throws in a 'la la la' or a 'dum dum', but Trouble in Dreams is a step in the right direction. The previous Destroyer album, Destroyer's Rubies, bore these traits like a yoke, whereas they don't come up as often here. Trouble in Dreams does a better job of varying the mood and theme from song to song, even if the sound is still very identifiable. Some of the songs are very good here - "Plaza Trinidad" is probably the standout, though "Shooting Rockets" and "Dark Leaves Form a Thread" play to Bejar's strengths well.

Can I recommend this album? Eh, not necessarily. I listen to it on occasion, but I'd be hard-pressed to claim it over much of the other music in my library. It's not awful, just too Bejarian - that is, too unfocused and whimsical for my taste - too much of the time.

In Other News:
I finally got the new Neko Case album! Review forthcoming. Initial thoughts - it's a little more friendly than Fox Confessor, but not that far removed. The sound has a little more pronounced twang, too, but not a great deal more. Neko, of course, sounds like ice water on a hundred-degree day.

My shoulder seems to be healing! It's not fast, but it is apparent, and I am relieved. I can't wait to get back to free weights.