Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams

For a member of radio-friendly indie power pop group The New Pornographers, Dan Bejar has had a surprisingly longevitous affair with experimentalism. Since 1996, Bejar has been recording theatrically imbued pop gems under the moniker Destroyer. While some artists experiment with theatrics to their own detriment—eviscerating the musicality of their pieces like the narrative interpolating, disjointed construction of The Fiery Furnaces’ Rehearsing my Choir or experimental efforts lacking structure which might better be categorized as “noise” or “sounds” than “music”—Bejar’s music maintains a musicality and pop sensibility which belies his experimental whims.

Trouble in Dreams, released in March, is Bejar’s newest as Destroyer. While the album is rooted in guitar-based pop-rock, some tracks have more in common with rock opera than their indie folk counterparts. But even on the traditional tracks Bejar’s theatrical flair breathes energy into the most routine chord progressions, disrupting traditional song sequences with abrupt rhythmic changes and creative phrasing all while maintaining a fairly cohesive aesthetic. Single “Dark Leaves from a Thread” proffers hooky, lo-key rock with an injection of vitality from Bejar’s textured nasal vocals and rhythmic dexterity. “Plaza Trinidad” and “Leopard of Honor” escalate into epic dynamic modulation, manipulating your emotions and maintaining your attention with narrative allusions. “The State” juxtaposes a conventional folk melody with crashing drums and a dramatically soaring and falling guitar, while Bejar spits out his lyrics with derision. Trouble in Dreams posits excellent and unusual song construction, but Bejar’s versatile voice is its star. From dreamlike to sinister, rich to garbled, Bejar’s voice is always beckoning, and Destroyer is quite a journey if you’re in for the ride.