Have We Met by Destroyer

There is something admirable about longevity in a musicians' career. Especially when it is accompanied by a discography as vast and ever-evolving as that of Destroyer's. The Vancouver based project, formed in the mid 90s by singer-songwriter Dan Bejar has never truly settled on one distinctive approach, with each album varying enough from its predecessor to feel unique. On their latest project Have We Met, Bejar provides some of his best songwriting since 2011's Kaputt and blends it with smooth synthpop instrumentals, creating one of his most intrinsic projects since the mid 2000s.

Bejar, renowned most for his stream of consciousness lyricism and poetic songwriting is in fine form throughout the 10 tracks found on Have We Met. Twirling stories that seem to ride the line of abstract and tangible thought. It is not about what Bejar is saying, rather it is the way he which he says it that stands out. It will not come as a surprise to those familiar with Destroyer that the songwriting is the driving force behind this record. What will please fans of the band's previous work though is the beauty of the instrumentation they are delivered over and the atmospheric nature of the album as a whole.

Clouded in the sort of smoky veil that provokes the imagery of walking down a dimly lit street late at night, Have We Met is vividly atmospheric throughout. From Crimson Tide, the uptempo mood setting opener that prepares you for what is to come, down to the final cut on the album foolssong, a much more tepid and reserved addition to the album that rolls by at a snails pace, giving way to a guitar driven interlude and a very loud, visceral drum passage. There is a lot to digest here in terms of what each track has to offer. Cuts like It Just Doesn't Happen take on a more confined approach, as Bejar rambles into the microphone about our protagonist in the kind of up for interpretation poetry you will find all over this record. Yet even with the lack of clarity, his words remain poignant, which lends the track to being one of the true stand outs. Cue Synthesizer is another impressive, albeit ambiguous addition to the LP. The jazzy, guitar laden production provokes immediate thoughts of the late David Bowie's final album Blackstar, and whether or not Bejar and producer John Collins drew from that album in the conception of this track, it certainly scratches a very similar itch sonically.

The weakest point of the album come in the form of The Television Music Supervisor, a frustratingly empty cut that offers nothing more than a 4 minute break-up in the track listing. It is painfully inactive, ambient in its soundscapes, which leads me to believe it could possibly work as a 1 or 2 minute intro to the album, but ultimately the length and lack of real substance makes it unworthy of the time it occupies. Once concluded, however, it gives way to yet another stand out in The Raven, a track that offers one of the most notable vocal passages to be found here, as Bejar exclaims:

"Come out, come out, wherever you are
But you don't, the dead don't come out
The dead twist and shout in an invisible world
The Grand Ole Opry of Death is breathless."

Have We Met faces a lot of tough competition in terms of its rightful place in the hierarchy of Destroyer's discography. That is part of the magic with Dan Bejar's songwriting though. Each record lives amongst itself, and while some most definitely shine brighter than others, they all have a lot to offer. This is certainly the case again on the band's latest effort, and for that reason I highly recommend lending it your ear.

Rating: 4/5

Hymns by Bloc Party

Indie rock/post-punk revival group Bloc Party are without a doubt best known for their debut album, Silent Alarm. A record packed full of fun, simple-yet-effective indie hits like Banquet and Helicopter showcased the bands potential, and at the time of the release many thought the band was destined for big things.

Silent Alarm was, and still is an album I enjoy quite a bit. Frontman Kele Okereke is a ball of energy throughout the track, and the band does a great job of utilizing some very catchy riffs and drum beats. In the years that followed however, the band's releases became progressively less and less interesting. Following their debut, they released A Weekend in the City, an album that was much less fun and upbeat than their previous effort, but did still end up being a solid, more serious record. On their third release Intimacy, the band began toying with more elements of dance music and really utilizing the synthesizer and other electronic aspects in their sound, a risk that didn't pay off too well. They followed that up with Four, an album that for lack of better words, just wasn't up to much. Ironically it's been four years since the release of Four, and now the band is back with two new members and the intentions to reach the same success they once achieved with their debut.

Unlike most, the lead single from Hymns; The Love Within, had me excited for Bloc Party's fifth full-length release, as the fusion of disco and alt-rock made for a very intriguing combination. It was danceable, and in my opinion at least, showed improvement from their last few releases. What I didn't expect going into this album however, was the religious subject matter that accompanied it. Tracks like Only He Can Heal Me and The Good News are both very largely influenced lyrically by religion. While not necessarily a make or break factor on an album, hearing a band spout off about their religious beliefs is not exactly the ideal lyrics on an indie record, for me at least. With that being said, it wasn't the most disappointing element of Bloc Party's latest release, not by a long shot.

Despite the misleading lead single, the band, rather than looking to create danceable fast paced electronic rock like you may expect, deliver a slowed down, scaled back ambient style of music.
Now on certain tracks, like Fortress, thanks to a strong vocal performance by Kele, the decision actually pays off fairly well. As a whole though, the album serves as nothing more than a tease, throwing flashes of interesting riffs and drum patterns, only to be watered down and make way for Kele, who at times on the album feels as if he's the only actual member of the band. It's not bad to stand out from the rest of your bandmates, something he often did on their older records, but when it's to the point that you don't even really know what the band behind him is doing, it really has me questioning if they're all on the same page. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case on certain tracks, as there were rumours surrounding the band's potential disbandment during the production of this album.

The album isn't bad, and it does have some decent moments. The guitar on tracks like The Good News and Into The Earth shows promise, and there's nothing wrong with the vocals on any particular cut. It's more of just the album as a whole, which feels very empty. The attempt at ambient rock doesn't make for anything special or interesting, and the best moments of the album are definitely those where the band turn back to their roots, as momentary as those spots may be. If you head into this album hoping to find the band that made Silent Alarm or A Weekend in the City, you'll be sorely disappointed. Then again, you also would have been disappointed over their last few releases as well.

Favorite Tracks: The Love Within, So Real, Fortress

Least Favorite Tracks: Only He Can Heal Me, Living Lux

Rating: 3/5