1996–2001
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge, Destroyer's 1996 debut, is made up of sixteen lo-fi home-recordings. One reviewer suggested that the album combines Bejar's "gift for melodies" with “a concerted effort to make the recording downright inconsumable; the guitars are always out of tune, and the vocals of Fisher-Price quality. 'Static means punk / tuning is junk,' Bejar moans on one track.” [5] (Ideas for Songs, released on cassette in 1997, features songs akin to those on his first album. The cassette stemmed from a request to contribute songs for a compilation album.[6])
As Bejar gained popularity in Vancouver's music scene, he was joined by producer John Collins for 1998's City of Daughters, which was recorded at a proper studio. Pitchfork noted that the songs still sounded "homespun," also noting "[t]he wordiness that would become something of a trademark is in full effect," but that "unlike much of what came later, not every line is worthy of examination."[7]
Thief (2000) embodied "Bejar's first stab at matching his grandiose, idiosyncratic vision to a showier sound;" it was the first to feature a backing band on every track.[8] The record's "anthemic yet understated"[9] piano-driven ballads have characteristically enigmatic lyrics, though some reviewers interpreted them as critiques of the music industry.[10][11]
Streethawk: A Seduction (2001) realized the sonic refinement started with City of Daughters. Bejar put it this way: "I don't think it gives credence to any kind of conceptualization of the records, but I hope that City of Daughters, Thief, and Streethawk will pop into some kind of a progression that ends with Streethawk.“ [12] A critical success, the album (retrospectively) received a rating of 9.1/10 from Pitchfork.[7]
2002–2007
The 2002 rock album This Night was a dramatic change in style. The looser, less rehearsed style was criticized as "messy [and] haphazard without purpose,"[13] though other critics praised the "beautiful mess of sounds" as "challenging... [and] a powerful, cohesive whole."[11] In a 2006 interview (after the release of Your Blues and Destroyer's Rubies), Bejar said the album "came together pretty quickly - we probably could have used more than four or five days to mix the whole thing, but that's all hindsight. It's still my favorite Destroyer record."[12]
Your Blues (2004) saw Destroyer take another unexpected turn, using MIDI instrumentation for almost all the backing music. Bejar coined the term "European blues" to describe its unique, theatrical sound.[14] One reviewer pointed out that "Bejar’s unusual voice sounds more confident, and higher up" in the synth-rich arrangements.[15] In yet another twist, the EP Notorious Lightning & Other Works reworked six tracks from the record with a live band, the very thing the LP had forsaken (the band was Frog Eyes, who toured with Destroyer in support of Your Blues).
Bejar returned with a live band for 2006's Destroyer's Rubies, delivering arguably his most confident record up to that point. The backing band took new-found prominence and, according to Bejar, "[t]he production seems... warm and lush and pretty focused on just making the band sound good and having everything sit well together."[12] NOW Magazine observed, "[w]hile the sheer density of Bejar’s writing can be overwhelming, Destroyer’s Rubies is, on a musical level, the most ’accessible’ disc he’s released."[16]
2008–2013
For Trouble in Dreams (2008), "there was a scary lack of ideas coming into the record," Bejar admitted.[17] Destroyer's piano player Ted Bois took it upon himself, as an alternative to keyboard and piano accompaniment, to create all string and synth arrangements for the songs.[17] At the time, Bejar said it was the "hardest record" to make.[17]
After the 2009 EP Bay of Pigs came 2011's full-length album, Kaputt (featuring a slightly modified "Bay of Pigs" track). Bejar cited influences such as Miles Davis and Roxy Music for his new jazz-infused, lounge music-inspired, sophisti-pop direction. In multiple interviews, Bejar variously stressed that he "sang in a completely different manner, almost unconscious of even singing, more like speaking into a vacuum, and was really happy with the results."[18][19] The record entailed a number of firsts for Destroyer: first national television performance (on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon); first official music video; first female backing vocals; and the first time Bejar performed without an instrument on tour - his concentration placed solely on his singing. Kaputt was short listed for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize [20] and was Pitchfork's second best album of 2011.[21]
Although smaller in scale, Destroyer's fourth EP "Five Spanish Songs" continued to surprise listeners. Sung entirely in Spanish, Bejar covered songs by Sr. Chinarro (es). Bejar's own tongue-in-cheek press release announcing the new songs began: "It was 2013. The English language seemed spent, despicable, not easily singable."[22]
2014–present
Bejar released Poison Season on August 28, 2015. Bejar notes that the album's sound grew from "just really getting into what we were sounding like playing live [following Kaputt]."[4] Bejar added that he would not have been able to make such an ambitious album if Kaputt had not been successful.[23] Recorded with a live band and a pronounced string section, the album's "grand cinematic set of songs"[23] feature Bejar singing with a broader range than before: "This is the first record that I've ever done that comes close to my idea of myself as a singer," Bejar said.[24]
In 2017, Bejar released ken.
English Music
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soldier, you got to get out more
There is life after property
Everyone has got a finder's fee
Find something difficult to do and do it
Write your English music, write your English music
Write your English music, run free!
She tasted of the Christmas wines and said
"So many things have run through me
I know the altar boys, they just wanna do me and that's fine
You gotta have faith, hey, yeah, you gotta have it"
Once again, it's a quarter to three by Ambleside By The Sea
And something's telling you, "Boy, it's time to take sides"
And something's telling you, "Boy, it's time to take sides"
And something's telling you, "Boy, it's time to take sides
And write your English music
Though you know it will come to no good
When brilliance has a taste for sufferin'
And you're softer than the Western world"
(This is the one)
The song "English Music" by Destroyer is an insightful and reflective piece about the struggles of creative expression and the need to break free from societal norms. The lyrics are directed towards a soldier, who is urged to venture out and experience life beyond the constraints of property. The concept of a "finder's fee" is introduced as an incentive to find something challenging to do and fully commit to it. The repeated line "Write your English music, run free!" encourages the soldier to tap into their creativity and express themselves through the medium of music.
The song takes a darker turn in the second verse, with the introduction of a woman who has experienced numerous things in life. She mentions the altar boys who desire her, but she is unfazed and believes in having faith. The song references Ambleside By The Sea, a village in Cumbria, England, where it is a quarter to three and something is telling the soldier that it is time to take sides. The repeated lines "And something's telling you, "Boy, it's time to take sides" and "And write your English music, though you know it will come to no good" suggest that there is a certain level of risk-taking and vulnerability required in the pursuit of creative expression. The line "When brilliance has a taste for sufferin' and you're softer than the Western world" highlights the fragility of creativity and the sacrifices that often come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Soldier, you got to get out more
You need to live a little outside of your comfort zone
There is life after property
Material possessions aren't everything
Everyone has got a finder's fee
People are always looking for something to gain
Find something difficult to do and do it
Challenge yourself and strive for self-improvement by overcoming obstacles
Write your English music, write your English music
Express yourself through your art
Run free!
Set yourself free and let your creativity flow
She tasted of the Christmas wines and said
She got drunk and spoke her mind
"So many things have run through me
I've had a lot of experiences and emotions
I know the altar boys, they just wanna do me and that's fine
I'm aware of male attention and I'm okay with it
You gotta have faith, hey, yeah, you gotta have it"
Believe in something to give yourself purpose and direction
Once again, it's a quarter to three by Ambleside By The Sea
Late at night in a specific location
And something's telling you, "Boy, it's time to take sides"
You need to make a decision or pick a side
And write your English music
Continue expressing yourself through your art
Though you know it will come to no good
You may not achieve success or recognition
When brilliance has a taste for sufferin'
Great art often involves pain or difficult experiences
And you're softer than the Western world"
You may not have the same toughness or resilience as others in your culture or society
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Daniel Bejar, Jason Zumpano, John Edward Collins, Scott Morgan, Stephen Michael Wood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DivineBananaFly
Best song ever
Di-Dorval
Could you make a whole album video?
The Void
@RareMusic42 I just uploaded the last 5 tracks. I don't think City of Daughters is on here either, so I think I'll upload it next if you're interested. Glad you dig it.
ChannelPerl 2
Destroyer is the best.
The Void
Turn that frown upside down b/c I'm uploading it as I speak! I'm always open for suggestions too. Anything you can't locate on YT let me know and if I don't have it, I'll damn sure try to get it. Happy Xmas!
Di-Dorval
Ahah that would be awesome thx man.
Ali Dudley
You should upload I want this Cyclops! Its not on here either! :(
Preparing ForSHTF
"A.P. Bio" S2E9 brought me here.
The Void
Of Streethawk? Yes I can, just not on this channel. After some infringement issues I lost my large upload privileges on THIS channel. I'll do my best to upload it to another of my "incognito" channels. Shhh. Don't tell. I'll send you a PM as to where it ends up. Deal?
Manav Dhawan
s/o Jason Mantzoukas