Destroyer Trouble In Dreams CD

Despite his long association with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers and his more recent collaboration with girlfriend Suzanne Vermont as the sophisticated pop duo Hello Blue Roses, Dan Bejar's main musical outlet has always been his own band, Destroyer. Eight albums into a prolific career, Destroyer's TROUBLE IN DREAMS provides more of what Bejar's fans expect from his work, but in a somewhat more accessible format. The album opens with one of Bejar's most appealing ballads, "Blue Flower/Blue Flame," which sets his inimitable voice against multiple acoustic and electric guitar lines that intertwine beautifully. From there, Bejar's familiar blend of HUNKY DORY-era David Bowie, Scott Walker's dramatic balladry, and poetic lyrics is combined with more traditional indie rock structures and arrangements. "Dark Leaves Form A Thread," for example, is one of the few Destroyer songs that would fit perfectly on a New Pornographers album.

Unknown Contributor Role: Rodney Graham.

Personnel: Daniel Bejar (vocals, guitar); Fisher Rose (whistling, brass, vibraphone, drums, percussion, background vocals); Nicolas Bragg (guitar, background vocals); Ted Bois (Mellotron, keyboards); Tim Loewen (bass guitar); Rodney Graham (gong).

Recording information: DC (2007); Jc (2007).

Spin (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Gloriously guitar-spangled, word-addled glam jams 'My Favorite Year' and 'Rivers' rock like T. Rex via T.S. Eliot..."
Uncut (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "TROUBLE IN DREAMS is fabulous....[They] play rich, languid, bar-room, indie-rock with florid bursts of guitar."
Alternative Press (p.152) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Bejar spellbinds with a poetic free-association of lyrics and melody rich enough to make hearts swell and ears throb with sanctified delight."
CMJ - "Lyrically, Bejar is an all-encompassing beast howling his barbaric, Bowie-enamored yawp....His efforts to tell a story of infinite possibilities, density and diversity are inspiring."
Blender (Magazine) (p.78) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The album's finest moments -- the sweet, stripped-down 'Foam Hands,' the pounding 'Leopard of Honor' -- are those where he takes his time."
Harp (magazine) (p.110) - "[G]o straight to tracks cut with shades of Bolan, Bauhaus, and Roxy Music. Habit-forming stuff."
Clash (magazine) (p.112) - "[The album has] a sound that is graceful, elegant and more epic than its musical simplicity might suggest, a simplicity that juxtaposes wonderfully with Bejar's intricate lyrics."