Destroyer
Destroyer’s Rubies EP
To summarise this release in one sentence: If you don’t like Bright Eyes, you won’t like this. That’s not to say that Destroyer, or more specifically, Dan Bejar, particularly sounds like Conor Oberst that much, but the style of music is very similar, if a little fuller and less depressing. With a bit of a folk-rock influence, a la Devendra Banhart, the music is acoustic-guitar based, but surrounds itself with a wide-ranging instrumentation.
The similarity to Oberst really comes from the sporadic vocals and Bejar’s staunch refusal to sing when you think he should. Sounding in part like somebody’s drunken uncle doing pub karaoke at the local, he sings as and when he wants to, bringing a hugely subjective feel to the proceedings – it’s almost as if the listeners don’t exist, and Bejar is simply writing a vocal journal of feelings. The more upbeat tunes such as ‘Your Blood’ attempt to cover the bitterness in his voice with jaunty melodies yet fail, but then ‘Painter In Your Pocket’ plays like the stream of consciousness of someone with a definite polar personality. It’s a platter of thoughts and styles for you to take your pick really, but it can be a bit much – or, maybe, not enough.
For me, this isn’t really an accessible record. It’s no doubt one produced with mounds of talent and strokes of genius, but what’s the point in having all that talent if no one else really gets it?
Guest article from Heather P.
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