Destroyer - Kaputt (AKA NSW: NEVAR Forget)

[LemonMelon]

Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing album. I thought their previous albums were lovely and off-kilter, but this new one really sharpens their sound to a fine, accessible point. It's kind of a sell-out album in a way, embracing synths and not doing much to rough up their sound, but the payoff is glorious, ambitious pop that overflows with not only the typical indie tools of the trade, but also trumpets, saxophones and Spanish-flavored guitars. I figured they might have enough fans here to deserve a thread, so here it is.

Lead single? Should be if it isn't already:

YouTube - Destroyer - Chinatown

 

[Harry Vest]

Libby's First Sunrise is one of the best songs of the 2000's

Can't wait to hear this album!!!

 

[IWasBored]

i didn't think using synths=sell-out since sometime during the 80s.


i want to say it reminds me of what little i like about stars, i guess, but i'm having a little bit of trouble actually qualifying exactly what i mean by that. it's kind of shimmery and pleasant, perhaps? i can't figure out if i like the horns. they made it more interesting, however they kind of annoy me. sounds like generic pop-jazz kenny g radio stuff that's there just because it's different, not because it actually adds another worthwhile layer to the melody or turns into a decent solo.

maybe that's a little harsh for a song i only heard once, from a band i'm pretty sure i've never even heard of.

 

[LemonMelon]

sounds like generic pop-jazz kenny g radio stuff that's there just because it's different, not because it actually adds another worthwhile layer to the melody or turns into a decent solo.

This comparison is already starting to irritate the crap out of me, and I only just started investigating the album yesterday. No, not all songs with saxophone on them sound like Kenny G, least of all something written by Dan Bejar. And I couldn't disagree more, I think it adds a very interesting layer without being actively avant-garde.

IMO.

 

[IWasBored]

just saying that's what it sounded like to me. like i said, i heard the one song once.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Very nice, thanks Traviud.

 

[agentorange]

Thanks. I'm looking forward to this one.
Minus a few new sounds, it's still very Destroyer, along the lines of "Watercolours into the Ocean". Any idea who the lady is singing backup?

 

[u2popmofo]

When does this release? I've really liked his last few albums, even his tracks on the most recent New Pornogs album are some of my favs. Still have not checked out much of his older material. I know there are a number of huge fan boys of many of those older albums out there (well, maybe not on this site, but I've seen them post elsewhere).

 

[If you shout...]

The only Destroyer song I really like:

YouTube - Hey, Snow White - Destroyer

For u2pm, who's thinking about the older stuff. If you dig Destroyer and there are gems like this buried in the older records that bowl over even a non-fan like me, it'll probably be worth your while to investigate. Imagine the possibilities!

 

[LemonMelon]

It's released January 25, so it's going to be a while. A pretty early leak for this one, I swear it's been around for a couple weeks now.

I haven't checked out the earlier stuff myself, I was going to ask you about it, Scums. Damn. Well, I know Streethawk: A Seduction is usually considered the entry point into their discography, and that's an early one. Might as well listen to that next. I've only heard Rubies and Kaputt and loved them both.

 

[LemonMelon]

The only Destroyer song I really like:

YouTube - Hey, Snow White - Destroyer

So the Pornos covered this for Dark Was The Night? You learn something new every day. I love that version.

 

[u2popmofo]

It's gonna be alright, gonna be alright.

 

[If you shout...]

Destroyer OG version, ahem, destroys the Pornos one. Not even remotely close.

 

[Knuckle]

I never heard of Destroyer except that a music blogger's site I sometimes visit (Rawkblog) at Rawkblog :: When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Blog is always going on about them. I never even bothered to listen until tonight when I decided to check out their new video for "Kaputt".

You must check this out. I'll spare the commentary and let others try to find some words for this...

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

[Knuckle]

Kaputt (official video)

There. That's better...

YouTube - Destroyer - Kaputt

 

[u2popmofo]

Ha, I just watched that video on Pitchfork a minute or two ago. The first few minutes crack me up.

The album cover is awesome, by the way.

 

[IWasBored]

OMG don't jump!!!1!!!






i'll give it another shot. i might have been in a crappy mood or something. me? a crappy mood? no, that never happens. just like i am never sarcastic. ever. it can't be all bad if mofo likes it. right? RIGHT???????

 

[iron yuppie]

This was a great recommendation, LM. I heard a stream of it today and was quite pleased with it. I definitely hear the jazz influences, but I would not equate them with Kenny G...more like 80s Miles Davis.

My only complaint really is that the album's title is not at all representative of the sound, as the album is very smooth and layered. But that's a very minor complaint.

 

[agentorange]

I'm very excited about Destroyer heading out on tour. I saw Dan with a full band opening for TNP during the Twin Cinema tour, and I thought he was great. I won't be missing this. Click the "tour" heading for dates.

Merge Records Destroyer

 

[u2popmofo]

I preordered this yesterday.

 

[u2popmofo]

Awesome review on Pitchyforky today.

My copy is on the way. I would be thrilled if it arrived tonight. Please let it happen, Amazon.

 

[agentorange]

Merge got me mine today. It sounds wonderful after one listen, even as quite the departure sonically.

As if I didn't have enough reason to love Dan Bejar, here's the lady who's singing backup on the album.

 

[u2popmofo]

Mine showed up tonight at like 8:30pm. Amazon ships to me with a service called Ontrac sometimes, and they make the most ridiculous timed deliveries like that. Haven't had a chance to listen yet. Might not until tomorrow, we'll see.

 

[u2popmofo]

I don't think there's a bad song on the album, it was a crazily good first listen. Surprised how all over the place the reception to it has been review wise. Sure, it's a departure, but an incredibly well done departure. If anything, I may end up liking it more overall than any of his other full albums.

 

[iron yuppie]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this album thus far, and my ad hoc placement of "Archer on the Beach" at the end of the album makes for a brilliant conclusion.

It's strange to think that two of my eventual favorite albums of the year may have been released on the same day - Kiss Each Other Clean being the other.

 

[mikal]

agreed with LemonMelon. this album is fantastic.

 

[Jive Turkey]

acquiring now... I promise to buy the LP if I like it

 

[bono_212]

I'm going to edit this post in a second once the album finishes, but can I just say how glad I was that he did finish up " It don't mean a thing. It never means a thing. It don't mean a thing. It never means a thing." with "It's got that swing," in Bay of Pigs. That brought a smile to my face.

Edit: Yeah, so anyways, holy shit this album is great. I'm really bummed that I'm so tired right now because 1) I had a hard time staying awake through it and 2) I actually just want to listen to it again right now, might even go ahead and just start it up and fall asleep listening.

This is one of the best night albums I've heard in a long time. I loved the instrumentation the music, the vocals. It was just all-around wonderful to listen to. "Suicide Demo For Kara Walker" just blew me away, good as "Chinatown" may be, that was the clear-cut best to me. Though there really isn't a bad song on this album.

Ever since I saw the Pornos last year, I've been wanting to hear Destroyer's music, because Bejar was definitely my favorite part of their gig. I hope to hear more of their albums after this, and I really hope to enjoy them as much as I did this.

Wow...just wow. Sorry, I'm really tired so I'm being super hyperbolic. Ok, done

 

[LemonMelon]

!

Kaputt is getting good press too:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15034-kaputt/ (8.8/10)
Destroyer: Kaputt | Music Review | Slant Magazine (4/5)
Destroyer - Kaputt | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes (5/5)

 

[u2popmofo]

Destroyer - Kaputt | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes (5/5)

This review is so awesome, I'm going to post the last paragraph here:

To me, though, it all comes down to the specific musical vibes of the 1980s, and Bejar (who was born in 1972) turns to this decade not on a whim, but as a genuinely personal form of expression. I recently downloaded a copy of Echo and the Bunnymen’s Songs to Learn and Sing, and after revisiting tracks such as “A Promise ” and “The Cutter,” I found myself wondering just what kind of effect this music must have had on kids, like Bejar and me, who grew up on it. It’s all so overwhelmingly earnest about its own humanity and yet so spazzy and superficial; the experience was beautiful, sad, annoying, and unbearable. Bejar taps this very mode when, on “Poor in Love,” he sings, “Why does everybody sing alone/ When we built this city on ruins?” That brutal sentiment, layered with just a very slight irony (and a little bit of Starship), seemed to become possible only in the music of the early 1980s (there’s nothing quite like it in punk or glam or rock or soul), and it beautifully captures all the dumb and easy hope of that silly decade. In this, Kaputt is a rare work of historical interpretation and pop artistry, full of beauty and wonder. It tops Streethawk: A Seduction as my favorite Destroyer album, and, even this early in the game, I know it will be a contender for my favorite album of the year. It doesn’t matter whether it reflects your tastes or not. It’s not about you. It’s not something to use, but, rather, something to think about, with your mind and your soul — and maybe you’ll even dance a little.