Destroyer - Kaputt

Dan Bejar has done it again.

Destroyer’s ninth full album, Kaputt, is simultaneously fresh and familiar, providing new listeners with a level of comfort while appeasing diehard fans.

Founder and frontman Bejar’s folksy, wizened voice remains Destroyer’s most recognizable sound. Instrumental breaks prevail throughout the work, but each song ultimately depends on Bejar’s vocals, which blend beautifully with his casual, jazzy melodies. Sibel Thrasher compliments his voice with her own sweetly heavy backing vocals.

Bejar’s stimulating lyrics are another element of Kaputt that is both typical of his past work and intriguing on its own. Lines like, “Wasting your days/chasing some girls all right/chasing cocaine through the back rooms of the world all night” are both engaging and enlightened, casting Bejar as a sobering realist.

Occupying a balance between half-sung and half-spoken, Bejar’s words are accompanied by a wide variety of instruments and sounds. Steeping his style in jazz, Bejar incorporates bass, saxophone, flute and other woodwinds into this album with space-age electronics to create an unlikely fusion. Prevailing above these two seemingly conflicting genres are the earthy tones of experimental folk rock, and the combination actually results in a successful blend.

As an opening statement, “Chinatown” samples the three musical styles mentioned above while still maintaining a Destroyer sound. “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker” works as the album’s centerpiece and one of Kaputt’s most evocative, emotional tracks. “Bay of Pigs” closes the record by reinforcing a sense of understated darkness.

Although some of the jazzy elements can stray dangerously close to Kenny G territory, they generally contribute to the tranquility of the album. Even in Destroyer’s impressive discography, Kaputt stands out as particularly relaxed and comfortable in its own skin.