DESTROYER

Kaputt

[Merge]

Dan Bejar has done lo-fi, he’s tried symphonic and now he goes for a super-glossy hi-fi sound on the latest from his band Destroyer. Kaputt is like the soundtrack for a Bryan Ferry biopic from an alternate reality—full of atmospheric synthesizers, effects-treated guitars, crisp drums and sleek, airless bass. The alto saxophone meandering through some of the songs is also part of the wistful mood of the record—all late nights and neon signs illuminating wet streets as Bejar, always an eclectic songwriter, spins scenes that are as evocative as they are oblique. He’s a master of clever wordplay, whether flipping clichés on their heads in a soft, regretful voice on “Savage Night at the Opera” or piecing together tumbles of disjointed images on “Blue Eyes.” It’s an album that’s both fascinating and heartbreaking, and it’s up to you which one comes first. –Eric R. Danton

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