Trouble in Dreams

Despite his long association with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers and his more recent collaboration with girlfriend Suzanne Vermont as the sophisticated pop duo Hello Blue Roses, Dan Bejar's main musical outlet has always been his own band, Destroyer. Eight albums into a prolific career, Destroyer's TROUBLE IN DREAMS provides more of what Bejar's fans expect from his work, but in a somewhat more accessible format. The album opens with one of Bejar's most appealing ballads, "Blue Flower/Blue Flame," which sets his inimitable voice against multiple acoustic and electric guitar lines that intertwine beautifully. From there, Bejar's familiar blend of HUNKY DORY-era David Bowie, Scott Walker's dramatic balladry, and poetic lyrics is combined with more traditional indie rock structures and arrangements. "Dark Leaves Form A Thread," for example, is one of the few Destroyer songs that would fit perfectly on a New Pornographers album.