Destroyer - Suicide Demo for Kara Walker

Shape-shifting Canadian pop craftsman Daniel Bejar's ninth studio album under the Destroyer moniker added a whole lot of Bryan Ferry to a pot already boiling over with copious amounts of Bowie, Dylan, and T. Rex. Bejar's predilection for pairing Oscar Wilde-inspired, semi-apocalyptic witticisms with glam-kissed, minor-seventh retro pop remained intact, but where previous outings like This Night and Streethawk: A Seduction mined the '70s for inspiration, 2011's Kaputt utilizes '80s sophisti-pop, New Romantic, Northern soul, and straight-up adult contemporary to deliver a flawed but fascinating record. Like Goldfrapp's divisive, 2010 retro dance-pop tribute Head First, Kaputt is fully committed to its cause, wrapping everything up in a pristine, immaculately produced biosphere that's filled to the brim with twinkling synths, soft rock drums, and enough wailing trumpets and saxophones to out-mellow Kenny G, David Sanborn, and Dave Koz combined. Ever the well-read, secretly pleased malcontent ("I write poetry for myself"), Bejar sounds more comfortable in this new disguise than he does on his more troubadour-oriented projects, as if producing the soundtrack for a discotheque with a capacity of one was his intention all along. His epic 11-minute, 2009 single "Bay of Pigs," which he described at the time as "ambient disco," could hardly serve as a more fitting conclusion to Kaputt, as it more than lives up to its creator's boast. "Suicide Demo for Kara Walker," "Song for America," "Chinatown," all of which skillfully tread water between the urbane intellectualism of Donald Fagan or Momus and the quiet, technical nihilism of Talk Talk, differ very little from the remaining six cuts, which may cause fans of his more adventurous work some fits, but there's no denying their icy, coke-fueled 2:00 A.M. elegance. [Allmusic.com]

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[invalidatemyass]

0 comments? seriously? fine i'll be the first. Destroyer are bliss, Kaputt is bliss, Suicide Demo for Kara Walker is bliss.

[pelodelperro]

Well, your comment is bliss too.

[Marisa Leach]

One of the best albums ever. The stream of conscious ramblings are amazing. I feel like I am way far out in the ocean, in a ship that has just broken down, alone with plenty of food and drink, pleased to drink away the nights and nap away the days. 

[Malibu0530]

those horns in the last minute and a half or so are unbelievable. Such a beautiful kaleidoscope of sound..

[TheBrendanio001]

That image is so awesome :)

[Joshua Adair]

Can someone please help me figure out what the little guitar chord progression from 0:30-1:00 reminds me of? it's absolutely killing me.

[Frooshie1]

This is just ridiculously good.

[Massa Sarcasm]

The bad gains respect through imitation, the good loses it especially in art.

[Scott Hall]

So... um, Dan... I love what you're talking about, and I love the way it sounds... what the frick are you talking about?

[Darlia Argyris]

this song is actually incredible.

[pedro garcia]

son estupnedos no me canso de escuchar este disco.. es perfecto

[tallesbrito]

the best suicide demo for kara walker remix you can listen at watch?v=dzm1PmVoJdg

[deject]

Originality is far too overrated. While it's definitely something to be lauded, there is absolutely nothing wrong with imitation, especially when it's incredibly well done.