Dan Bejar’s prowess as a lyricist is something to behold. Self referential to the point of enveloping itself in its own little world. 2006's Destroyer’s Rubies was perhaps the pinnacle of this labyrinthian lyricism and with its combination of skillfully executed song writing, it made for one hell of an album. Last years follow up Trouble In Dreams felt a lot like Rubies Part II, or The Godfather Part III for that matter; good, but not even coming close to its predecessor. Part of the reason for this was the lack of lyrical dynamism found on previous Destroyer releases. So 2009 rolls around and we have another release from the band, the Bay of Pigs EP. Featuring two lengthy tracks (13 and 8 minutes respectively), which sees Bejar back at the top of his lyrical game. And you know what? The music is just different enough, just interesting enough to make this a worthy entry into the Destroyer canon.
Especially the first track, “Bay of Pigs”, a 13 minute space disco wielding Spanish guitar trance might have very well been edited by Ezra Pound as it shifts through a cycle of themes ranging from The Bay of Pigs and allusions to that mystical “Christine” that seems to pop up in various Destroyer tunes. It drones its way to the half way mark before finally hitting its stride. A low pulsing beat grounds the ambient flirts of synthesizer that gifts the song a brisk feel. You never feel the songs length until the final three minutes or so of drone, but it’s so ethereal that you don’t really care if the coda is extraneous or not. On the flip side is the eight minute “Ravers” featuring the same ambient disco style of “Bay of Pigs” but wrung through a more traditional Destroyer song structure. Think: David Bowie covering Pink Floyd covering “Looter’s Follies”, replete with clever witticisms and you’d be on the right track. It’s ambient, soothing and oddly fascinating.
If right now you’re thinking, “hey this review is starting to seem a little too referential for me,” then you really shouldn’t be listening to Destroyer.
