|
|
 |
Destroyer.
Every so often there comes a record that can be played over and over, becoming a sort of security blanket. I am not so sure what it is about British Columbia solo unit Destroyer's 'Your Blues' that is so undeniably appealing. What I do know is it's definitely one of those special records.
The man behind the moniker, Vancouver resident and part-time
New Pornographer Dan Bejar, fashioned the 12 songs on his sixth
record with the help of David Carswell and John Collins, who
both played the synthesised sounds that fill them. Aside from
a few keyboards, we have but an acoustic guitar, spare percussion
and Bejar's chameleonic croon. There is an air of theatre instilled
in this record; Bejar turns his voice from strangled whisper
to exultant bellow amid songs titled Notorious Lightning
and An Actor's Revenge. Destroyer's most stripped back
record doubles as his most ambitious, his most bombastic and
bold.
"We made conscious decisions like not having a rhythm section," he explains. "In general if you take drums and bass away from something it creates space. We've stuck with really airy sounds, kinda hollowed-out in some ways but lush in other ways. Also it gives the vocals a lot of room to run. Any attempt at majesty is a crumbling majesty; and there's always the fact that there's my voice to work with, which is not a very majestic tool. I wasn't too worried about creating too much pop because I knew the second I opened my mouth I would rein that in and create an interesting contrast."
In years gone by Bejar's voice has been compared to David Bowie, Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) and Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev). On 'Your Blues' he echoes the sinister tones of The Auteurs' Luke Haines and David Tibet of apocalyptic medieval folk project Current 93. Indeed, 'Your Blues' has "a certain 'olde world' quality" surrounding it, the synths mimicking flutes, horns, strings, bagpipes, Bejar often sounding like a drunken minstrel.
Bejar concurs, laughing "I definitely don't think we shied away from it. It wasn't what I had pictured going in to make the record, but when I saw it rear its ugly head I didn't cut it off. I don't really play instruments very much. I don't sit down with a guitar and come up with a chord progression and a bunch of lyrics. It seems to be like, maybe some kind of lyric and a semi-melodic phrasing that would accompany the lyric or a rhythm."
His unusual style of songwriting is augmented by his peculiar
lyrical dexterity and anti-formulaic song structuring. "The
lyrics are never really sing-songy. They are the opposite of
sing-songy," he says. Notorious Lightning is a wonderful
example of his idiosyncratic style: "So, Great Pretender pull
a face! / Let's see the best 'forlorn' you know! / Just don't
sing, "Barricades In The Morning" / It's been three days in
a row and it never comes off like you planned it! / Something
once was delivered, then you banned it! / But, oh, there is
a key to this thing..." It embodies everything that Destroyer
has been over the course of six wonderful records - a precious
anomaly, a burning star in the night sky over Canada.
Bejar doesn't adhere to the verse-chorus-verse philosophy, instead allowing his songs "...to just follow the lyrics. A lot of times Destroyer songs seem to have these different disembodies voices that pop up. I think on 'Your Blues' especially I seem to have crafted these characters and scenarios more so than I usually do."
Bejar politely denies he writes in a confessional manner ("I don't think songs are the medium I would use for my confessions") or engages in role-play in his songs. "No, 'cause it's not the way I really use language. It's more just like, themes that pop up, recur in songs. I'm not quite sure what those are. But I kinda sense them there with me. There are references made to specific characters in songs. I haven't really drawn up much of a character profile for any of them. They seem to come and go, fast and furious."
Like his characters, Bejar's 'Your Blues' is gone faster than you can yell "musical genius!" It is unbelievably easy to let this record sink into your skin; give it time and it could quite possibly become a favourite.
Lenin Simos
 |
Destroyer's 'Your Blues' is out now through Trifekta/FMR.
|
|
|
The latest issue
available now!
|
