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.
Showing posts with label Destroyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Destroyer. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Destroyer's Rubies
[Warning: There is Language in today's post but it is quoted from a song and very much in context.]
Today's Music of the Day is Destroyer's Rubies, by one Daniel Bejar, also known as Destroyer. This is the same Daniel Bejar who contributes to the New Pornographers by way of singing and songwriting. He apparently will also tour with the band, drinking copious amounts of red wine and sometimes getting on stage to sing his part.
Ahem. Destroyer's Rubies is a pretty interesting album, albeit one that seems to have been conceived under the influence of some chemicals that I don't have access to. There is an occasional moment of clarity, usually driven by a guitar, but this album is mostly smooth and meandering. The piano often takes center stage, along with Bejar's punchy, half-spoken vocals. The lyrics are fairly interesting if somewhat unfocused and nonsensical; I will say that Bejar resorts to 'la la la' and its ilk more often than my taste would permit.
For the most part, I didn't care for this album all that much. It's not offensive, and rarely rambunctious, and therein lies the problem. There are moments where the songs build to a crescendo, and allow the guitar or the piano to cut loose, but these precious seconds are few and far between. This album could stand to have some more direction and less unoffensive droning. Still, "European Oils" and "Sick Priest Learns to Last Forever" have their moments.
So in short, this album has its strong points - lyrics, occasional instrumentation, somewhat goofy vocals - but it's far too mellow and gentle overall for my taste. I do prefer Bejar's contributions to the New Pornographers - some of which fall among the group's best songs - where he is writing for a different group of performers (and a different audience, likely). The more concise and structured pop songs he has written for the group are generally excellent, which makes the milquetoast effort here something of a letdown. But not completely terrible.
When I'm at war I insist on slaughter and getting it on with
the hangman's daughter.
She needs release.
She needs to feel at peace with her father, the fucking maniac...
In Other News:
Apparently, due to Bejar's punchy vocals, there is a whole site dedicated to transcribing his lyrics:
Destroyer Wiki
My shoulder still aches but it's at least 50% better than it was at this time yesterday. So perhaps there is hope! Or maybe I just need to complain about things here and they will fix themselves.
There is a new Beirut EP out today.
Today's Music of the Day is Destroyer's Rubies, by one Daniel Bejar, also known as Destroyer. This is the same Daniel Bejar who contributes to the New Pornographers by way of singing and songwriting. He apparently will also tour with the band, drinking copious amounts of red wine and sometimes getting on stage to sing his part.
Ahem. Destroyer's Rubies is a pretty interesting album, albeit one that seems to have been conceived under the influence of some chemicals that I don't have access to. There is an occasional moment of clarity, usually driven by a guitar, but this album is mostly smooth and meandering. The piano often takes center stage, along with Bejar's punchy, half-spoken vocals. The lyrics are fairly interesting if somewhat unfocused and nonsensical; I will say that Bejar resorts to 'la la la' and its ilk more often than my taste would permit.
For the most part, I didn't care for this album all that much. It's not offensive, and rarely rambunctious, and therein lies the problem. There are moments where the songs build to a crescendo, and allow the guitar or the piano to cut loose, but these precious seconds are few and far between. This album could stand to have some more direction and less unoffensive droning. Still, "European Oils" and "Sick Priest Learns to Last Forever" have their moments.
So in short, this album has its strong points - lyrics, occasional instrumentation, somewhat goofy vocals - but it's far too mellow and gentle overall for my taste. I do prefer Bejar's contributions to the New Pornographers - some of which fall among the group's best songs - where he is writing for a different group of performers (and a different audience, likely). The more concise and structured pop songs he has written for the group are generally excellent, which makes the milquetoast effort here something of a letdown. But not completely terrible.
When I'm at war I insist on slaughter and getting it on with
the hangman's daughter.
She needs release.
She needs to feel at peace with her father, the fucking maniac...
In Other News:
Apparently, due to Bejar's punchy vocals, there is a whole site dedicated to transcribing his lyrics:
Destroyer Wiki
My shoulder still aches but it's at least 50% better than it was at this time yesterday. So perhaps there is hope! Or maybe I just need to complain about things here and they will fix themselves.
There is a new Beirut EP out today.
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