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

Moth by Chairlift

To be as blunt as possible, synthpop is very in at the moment. A genre that first became prominent back in the early 80's, it saw acts like Yellow Magic Orchestra and Depeche Mode help pave the way for acts to come later on throughout the 90's and 2000's. Even just taking a look back to last year will show you a plethora of fantastic synth based releases, with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Chvrches, and Neon Indian all releasing fantastic synth driven albums (and if you want to read my thoughts on Carly Rae's E•MO•TION you can do so here.)

So where does Chairlift come into all of this synth music being put out of late? Well, with the release of their newest full-length LP Moth, the Colorado based duo are clearly showing that they have been inspired by the synth-pop acts of late, as rather than sticking to their dream-pop/electronica roots, they've embraced the trend themselves, and while they've frequently incorporated the synthesizer into their sound, on the new album we see it become their primary instrument for the first time.

From the moment Look Up, the album's opening track begins, it becomes evident that this is not the same album that other artists of the genre have been putting out. In fact, throughout the album, it feels as if not only are Chairlift embracing the synthpop sound, but they are also looking to explore every crack and crevice of the genre. While Look Up serves as an intriguing taste of what's to come, it ends being somewhat of an afterthought once you get into the best that this album has to offer, beginning with the following track Polymorphing. Not only does the track serve has an incredibly catchy and enjoyable listen, but it also seems to be modelled after the same style found on Neon Indian's latest album VEGA INTL. Night School. Even with the clear influence, Chairlift still manage to separate themselves from their peers through many different unique elements used in their sound.

Also unlike some other acts in the scene, the duo frequently go out of their way to incorporate many different instruments on tracks throughout the album. Just take a look at the acoustic guitar featured on Romeo or the violin used in the outro of Ottawa to Osaka for proof of the bands versatility. We also see them take risks by incorporating loud, booming drums at times, as well as lots of progression throughout the tracks. The aforementioned Ottawa to Osaka is easily the best example of that progression, as the song opens with a bit of somewhat of an experimental sound, before settling down as Caroline Polachek begins singing. Not only is her voice fantastic on that track, but also throughout the album, as she delivers beautifully sung hook and after beautifully sung hook, sometimes delivering the lyrics in a hushed whisper, and on one track in particular playing around with a more raw style.

That track is Unfinished Business, and easily serves as one of the project's less interesting cuts, as Polachek seems to be looking to let her vocals loose on the chorus, but for whatever reason sounds as if she's being held back as her voice cracks and ultimately falters out. The track isn't helped much by also containing the most uncreative and uninspired instrumental featured on Moth.  Having said that, aside from Unfinished Business, even the lesser cuts on the album are still quite enjoyable. Tracks I found forgettable after my first few listens like Look Up, and the closer No Such Thing As Illusions I'm now finding myself enjoying and coming back to semi-regularly. As much as Chairlift succeeded in creating great radio-ready catchy singles, they also paid a lot of attention to insuring the flow of the album remains consistent and almost every track has something to offer.

From beginning to end, Moth is an album chalked full of danceable, catchy, sing-a-long pop tunes that anyone with an appreciation for pop music will enjoy. Is this an essential synthpop record? Of course not. It does stand on it's own though, and can easily rival any of last year's releases of the same genre.

Favorite Tracks: Polymorphing, Romeo, Ch-Ching, Crying in Public, Moth to a Flame

Least Favorite Tracks: Unfinished Business

Rating: 4/5