Destroyer
Trouble In Dreams

The Canadian indie scene over the last two decades has been truly prolific, just to mention some key artists: the vintage-psychedelic Rock of Black Mountain, the refined Pop of Arcade Fire, the Broken Social Scene, the Post-Rock giants GY!BE, A Silver Mt. Zion, Do Make Say Think, and Fly Pan Am.

Joining the ranks of the aforementioned artists is a figure with more years of discography behind him, the bearded Vancouverite Daniel Bejar, who alternates his career as a composer and singer-songwriter mainly between two projects, the Destroyer and the New Pornographers, probably better known for the latter Band with which he produced one of the best records of the scene in question, namely "Twin Cinema" from 2006, perhaps the year of greatest inspiration for the Canadian Songwriter because simultaneously with Destroyer he released "Destroyer's Rubies", another of his artistic cornerstones, and also the first album with the "supergroup" Swan Lake for Jagjaguwar. The main artistic influences, admitted by Dan and company, are primarily Pavement and Guided By Voices, with whom they share that taste for an unpredictable song form with intense and melancholic traits from the Matador Records school.

"Trouble In Dreams", released by Merge in 2008 is perhaps the artist's most reflective work, starting with the title, which highlights the difficulties, concerns, or in general life experiences that reappear in the individual's mind in a theatrical scene within our mind, which we can identify with specific symbols, on which one tends to seek a valid interpretation, or which sometimes is better to forget as soon as you wake up to avoid wasting money gambling on numbers after having seen the dream book, 'la smorfia' or some program of a screaming lady on private television dictating numbers to viewers. Dream symbols that reappear in the album in question through the songwriter's thoughts, the flower and the blue flame of the opening title "Blue Flower/Blue Flame," dreamlike omens or reflections on nature as in the lyrics of "Rivers." Dan Bejar also recounts that dreams and experiences can also be shared "Common scars brought us together.." (in the song "Introducing Angels").

The style of Destroyer shows a more singer-songwriter and refined approach compared to the other projects in question, although the love for Pixiesian guitaring and the song of Frank Black present in New Pornographers is a characteristic that is difficult to forget, just like a compositional poetry comparable to that of a Stephen Malkmus. However, what makes a difference in the work in question are the arrangements by keyboardist Ted Bois in the splendid "Shooting Rockets (from the Desk of Night's Ape)," a piano base that serves as a perfect backdrop to Nicholas Bragg's guitar, creating the most intense moment of the work. 

An album that, along with "Your Blues" and the aforementioned works, further showcases the compositional talent of Bejar and his collaborators, a combination of enigmatic and intense lyrics associated with music that undoubtedly shows a certain originality and personality, for the delight of all Radical Chic who want to give themselves an air and pretend to be intellectuals when necessary, of course.