Destroyer
“Destroyer’s Rubies”
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Tracks to Download: “Your Blood,” “European Oils,” “Looters’ Follies”
For fans of: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Silver Jews
Bottom Line: Obscure Dylan-esque vocals harmonize with classic rock – and more
Admittedly, comparisons to Bob Dylan occur far too frequently in music criticism. What about contemporary artists like Bright Eyes sounds like Dylan, except for a vaguely rebellious tone? In Destroyer, the band name for Vancouver singer-songwriter Dan Bejar, critics might actually have the beginnings of a reasonable comparison. Bejar’s sixth album, “Destroyer’s Rubies,” continues in a tradition of bizarrely engrossing lyrical content amidst sprawling musical backdrops. Such a tradition is without a doubt nonconformist. His lyrics are dense, filled with literary allusions and obscure narratives, while the songs themselves often surpass six minutes. Like Dylan’s best offerings, Bejar’s albums require multiple listens – a mix of yelpy vocals and few harmonies makes him at first sound like dissonant nonsense.
While Destroyer barely resembles Bejar’s other band, the much more pop-infused New Pornographers, “Destroyer’s Rubies” is not as unpleasant to the ear as some of his earlier albums, no doubt helped by the fact that Bejar allowed his band to produce actual melodies. On “Your Blood” and “European Oils,” Ted Bois’ piano (yes, there is Canadian rock music without electric keyboard) and Nicolas Bragg’s guitar pave the way to Destroyer’s best moments yet. The result is a sound not unfamiliar to listeners of classic rock radio. Tightly constructed and climactic, the musical accompaniment effortlessly meshes with Bejar’s voice while never overshadowing it. On “Looters’ Follies,” Bejar lends repeated cadential vocal chords to a humorously cynical narrative. “I lifted the veil to see nature’s trickery revealed as pure shit,” he sings, “From which nothing ever rose, ’cause nothing ever could.”
“Destroyer’s Rubies” might sound good at times, but its lyrics are what truly stand out. The literature student will be particularly impressed. Amid the bluesy sound of “Your Blood,” Bejar fills his chorus with allusions to Camus novels. In “3000 Flowers,” he references Aeschylus’ female protagonist, singing how he “was Clytemnestra on a good day, dispensing wisdom to the uninitiated.” What this lyric actually means, like much of the rest of the album’s lyrical content, is up for grabs. Vague references to the “American Underground” in several songs as well as to the “Founding Fathers” in the album’s concluding track make his poetics all the more intriguing. What is this man from Vancouver saying about these United States? If the answer were clear, the comparisons to Dylan would be less apt, of course.