Destroyer

It might go without saying, especially after looking at his hair, but Dan Bejar does what he wants, trends be damned. While Bejar hangs out in the background of The New Pornographers, as Destroyer he’s his own man, 100 percent, and he’s damn good at it. His latest record, 2011’s Kaputt, continues his trend of album-by-album reinvention, this time sailing free on the jazzy but totally serious yacht-rock trend brought to the musical forefront in recent years by bands like Gayngs and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Some Bejar naysayers have written him off for warbly talk-singing, but Kaputt was, hands down, one of 2011’s best records. Tracks like “Blue Eyes” and “Suicide Demo For Kara Walker” soar and ache simultaneously, making for spectacularly deep and beautiful contradictions.

Updated 05/30/2012