DESTROYER レコード& CD

Review: 13 albums in, Dan Bejar enters his the terrible teens of his oeuvre with another terrifyingly good piece of work, deftly weaving darkness and dread into pop epics destined for the pantheons at some point in the future. It's sinister, brooding and melancholic stuff that aims to move listeners emotionally and dancers physically.

Perhaps what's most remarkable is the production process; an open-ended creative approach that took years of archive work and made it fresh through intimate recording sessions that allowed ideas to evolve off the cuff. This might explain the conversational sensibilities of reflective ode 'The Raven', the lackadaisical jam that is 'Cue Synthesizer', or the title track's veritable cosmic warm up vibe. Guitar shreds, warm keys and soft pads rarely felt so satisfying or effortless, the result being an album that sounds complete despite reaching for seemingly impossible heights.

Review: This outfit fronted by sometimes New Pornographers man Dan Bayer is now onto their tenth album, yet throughout this tenure at the fringes of the indie rock world their abstract, idiosyncratic and acutely personal assault has invariably shown signs of reinvention at every turn. Moreover, on 'Poison Season', they've excelled themselves, creating an atmospheric, melancholic and strangely sardonic song-cycle that expertly tackles the whys and wherefores of cutthroat urban life. Styles may vary here from brass-abetted bluster to wistful chamber pop, yet what he have here is essentially a 21st century variant on the art-pop iconoclasm of vintage Bowie, Lou Reed, and later-period Leonard Cohen, all three lofty comparisons not made lightly.

Review: This outfit fronted by sometimes New Pornographers man Dan Bayer is now onto their tenth album, yet throughout this tenure at the fringes of the indie rock world their abstract, idiosyncratic and acutely personal assault has invariably shown signs of reinvention at every turn. Moreover, on 'Poison Season', they've excelled themselves, creating an atmospheric, melancholic and strangely sardonic song-cycle that expertly tackles the whys and wherefores of cutthroat urban life. Styles may vary here from brass-abetted bluster to wistful chamber pop, yet what he have here is essentially a 21st century variant on the art-pop iconoclasm of vintage Bowie, Lou Reed, and later-period Leonard Cohen, all three lofty comparisons not made lightly.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight dents to the corners of the outer sleeve, but otherwise in excellent condition***