Review: Destroyer's Rubies / Destroyer

Those familiar with the name Dan Bejar are likely so because of the New Pornographers - the powerpop supergroup who helped found. On last year's Twin Cinema, Bejar contributed his best work to the collective ("Jackie Dressed in Cobra," "Streets of Fire") though it is likely his last. He instead is looking to focus full-time on his group Destroyer, who released their seventh and best album, Destroyer's Rubies last week. Destroyer began ten years ago with simple homemade recordings by Bejar, and while a serious lineup has formed over the past decade, the sound still bears a mark of individuality - even the name describes a person, as opposed to a movement. Their sound is often described as a glam, a label Bejar shrugs off and one that is given probably because of the natural sound of his voice.

No label seems appropriate in describing Destroyer or Rubies, but a few facts are apparent - Bejar prefers "la la las" to lyrics when it comes to the chorus,the meaning of lyrics remain a mystery (reclusive tendencies or deep romantic longing hidden behind historic tales of fallen empires?), and regardless of how long a song is (9 minutes on opening title track, it never gets tiresome. Bejar is an excellent storyteller - he can talk his way through lyrics like, "And I/was good with names/I had a way with faces," as he does on "European Oils," but a verse later can passionately cry out, "She needs release/She needs to feel at peace with her father/the fucking maniac."

Bejar has no problem switching between styles and genres, sometimes mid-song - fuzz guitar solo, flamenco guitar solo, classical piano, low-fi recording, hi-fi recording. Regardless of what hat he's wearing or label his shedding, one fact is undeniable - Rubies is a series of flawless, gorgeous and brilliant minimalist epics.

4 (out of 5)

::MP3s Courtesy of::
1•Villains Always Blink
2•Studio Mustache