Destroyer

Destroyer is the project of songwriter Dan Bejar, who started putting out records in the mid-1990s. The band's sound has shifted over time, moving through phases of scrappy indie rock, lush pop, and more abstract arrangements. Their 2006 album 'Destroyer's Rubies' and 2011's 'Kaputt' are often mentioned as touchstones, though the work resists easy categorization.

Bejar's lyrics tend to be dense and allusive, full of literary references and fragmented imagery. Songs like 'Painter In Your Pocket' and 'Suicide Demo For Kara Walker' showcase his particular approach to writing, where meaning feels deliberately slippery. The music around those words has been just as restless, from the guitar-driven earlier material to the smooth, synth-heavy textures of the 'Kaputt' era.

While the project is essentially Bejar's vehicle, it has often involved a loose collective of musicians from the Vancouver scene, including longtime collaborator John Collins. They've maintained a steady output for decades, with albums like 2022's 'Labyrinthitis' continuing to explore new sonic territory without settling into a predictable pattern.