Destroyer

From carefully orchestrated torrents of words to whispered asides, Destroyer's Dan Bejar never sounds less than completely wrapped up in the moment — even if his meaning remains nigh impenetrable. It's a switch from Bejar's affiliation as one of the New Pornographers, where he comes off as merely cryptic, applying his eccentricities to a couple of four-minute pop songs per album. Before that gig took off, Bejar founded Destroyer as a solo project. It eventually evolved into a full band, leaving him free to get as out-there as he wants. I'll tell you what I mean by that, he says on "Blue Flower/Blue Flame," from this year's Trouble in Dreams LP. Maybe not in seconds flat, maybe never. Oh, Dan. You tease. It'll be a lot more interesting if you don't. — Robert Bishop