Adult Fun.

that same fucking photo...

The new album from Destroyer (Rubies) should be a welcome return after his experiments in high European modernism in Your Blues (midi as a Brechtian distancing technique?). From the two preliminary tracks I've heard and indications from others, the album's stylistically compatible with Streethawk and This Night. I'm thrilled to be hearing some new stuff, but I wouldn't be disappointed if Bejar had continued on the path set by that previous album - the sleazy, King's Quest on Commodore 64-style production won me over about 30 minutes after I decided I detested it - but this is certainly more than sufficient for me, and if this keeps him away from The New Pornographers, great!

Other preliminary indications - this is a reprise of previous Destroyer line-ups, there will be 10 tracks on the album, and it'll be out in February.

Destroyer - European Oils.mp3

Here's a breezy song, with some minor-league Mark Knopfler-esque guitar flourishes and Bejar's wonderful caterwailing. Despite the denseness (those overdubs!), the song doesn't come off as weighted, and the insistent rhythm finds itself galloping right into the note-perfect outro, a gorgeous rollicking bit, complete with what my ears discern to be a saxophone. Note the amazing moment as song builds to a crescendo, the dirty guitar lead overdriven, Bejar brings his voice down and... "The fucking maniac!"

There's a great moment in an interview with Harry Nilsson, done sometime just before the release of the Popeye film with a Scottish interview who's name has escaped me (Andy Clyde, perhaps?), where the interviewer makes an observation that Nilsson plays with the lyrical clichés of show business and the music industry, quoting it back at itself... Which, one gathers, is what Bejar does, and thankfully with the same lack of self-consciousness that makes Nilsson so delightful. Another memorable aspect of the interview: you can hear Nilsson screwing off the top of a bottle of brandy (I presume?) and pouring himself healthy glasses every couple of minutes. It's an interview where Nilsson reveals himself to be both intelligent and earnest about a variety of things. It's on SLSK, I'd recommend downloading it if you have any interest in the man who once wrote a chart-topping hit for The Monkees about a gang-bang.


I'VE BEEN FILEPILED! At least gimme an account...