[rating=4.00]
Although most people know Dan Bejar from his work with The New Pornographers, where the hired Canadian chips in around three songs on each of their four albums, he’s created a monstrous book of work under the Destroyer name. Sure the Destroyer brand is not the sticky indie pop of the pre-mentioned band; instead it’s eerie and osbscure as Bejar’s twisted voice provides a mysterious edge where a songwriter/artist generates pure enigma.
Trouble In Dreams, Destroyers eighth or ninth album (nobody knows for sure) hits on the same elements of 2006’s Destroyer’s Rubies. From the sharp angular rock of “Dark Leaves Form A Thread” to the dripping bass of “The State” and the howling guitar crescendo of “Introducing Angels,” the recording runs across diverse themes. According to Bejar the lyrics on Trouble in Dreams touch on a number of re-occurring images and themes: “There are many themes running through it. Nostalgia; the beach; fascism; poets and poetry.” With the many lyrical references to light and darkness so does the music.
The lush “Foam Hands” and its strings and whistles might be the most happy Destroyer moment to date, while Bejar never forgets the dark side on Shooting Rockets where he shakily sings, “"Caution — hot ashes‚/ The girl says to her first kiss.” Bejar’s nervous rambling gets a bit tiresome, but nobody said Destroyer isn’t an acquired taste. Although Trouble In Dreams makes Destroyer a bit easier to digest, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
