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 TEST MISSING2006 marked the return of Vancouver's Dan Bejar with his seventh full-length release under the moniker Destroyer. If there has been any precedent set or pattern developed over the previous six recordings in the Destroyer canon, it's that Bejar holds little regard for convention or expectations. Never one to rest on laurels, each successive Destroyer release always explores new sonic territories and ideas. We love Dan for that.The album is titled Destroyer's Rubies and the opening track, "Rubies," sets the tone well. It's 9 and 1/2 minutes long, a sprawling epic that opens with the phrase: "Cast myself towards infinity, trust me, I had my reasons" the perfect summation of the Destroyer aesthetic. Destroyer's Rubies is a collection of shrewd pop music that takes no prisoners and asks no pardons. Equal parts cynicism, disdain, hope and humor; self-referential, self-mocking, sagacious and coy. There is mythology here, there is history, there is heartbreak and there is triumph. Follow along as Bejar leaves his breadcrumb trail twisting through the crumbling forests and bleak landscapes of modern popular music. It's all heady and ecstatic. Trust him, he has his reasons. Bejar's Dylanesque flare for biting and sardonic wit and his nods to the glam and bombastic folk approaches of early Tyrannosaurus Rex and Bowie recordings have clearly distanced Destroyer from the more straightforward pop of his "other" band, The New Pornographers. But you can hear a few more colloquial pop hooks seeping into the formula here, just to sweeten the pot. Bejar himself claims that influences on Destroyer's Rubies come from the works of Kevin Coyne, Kevin Ayers, Kevin Rowlands, Kevin Junior ... pretty much anyone named Kevin. Speaking of those New Pornographers, fans and critics have often tried to decipher the extent of Mr. Bejar's contributions to their favorite Canadian supergroup (ack!), but he has always maintained a distance and mystery about his level of involvement. The truth is his participation has consisted of a few songs contributed to the cause over the years, and a few vocal performances on record. Bejar does not consider himself an official member. However, in the fall of 2005 Destroyer did head out on the road for a support slot on the New Pornographers North American tour, and Bejar was persuaded to perform a few songs live with the Pornographers for the first time in years. He blames it all on the wine backstage. His new album "Trouble In Dreams" will be released in spring 2008, followed by a European tour in the fall. |
VISIT>> MySpaceLABEL>> Merge RecordsAGENTSusanne Herrndorf |
TOURDATESNo dates currently scheduled |