by Brad Roberts
"There is a love that sleeps inside
The canyons of our deepest dreaming lives,
A shelter that cannot be lost..."
I came around to this album by a rather circuitous route. Both
Furr, from 2008, and
Black River Killer, their EP from 2009, landed on my 10 Best Lists for those years, and I consistently go back to them, so
Blitzen Trapper have proven to me that they have definite staying power.
But the advance word was that Destroyer of the Void was less accessible than the last two releases, and when I picked it up and listened, I didn't quite to know what to make of it. I put it away for a few days, as I was not instantly drawn in until the third or fourth playing when the lyrics began to stand out and intrigue me with snatches of cryptic phrases and bizarre tales. Meanwhile the melodies were worming their way into my subconscious.
The first song is the epic title track, "Destroyer of the Void". It is a composition in five movements, beginning with an a capella chorus, quite unlike anything I've heard from them before, which is joined, on the second movement, by a harpsichord for a chamber pop feel, with choir-like vocals and eventual drums. The third movement introduces an angular new melody with piano accompaniment and when the vocals pipe in, "I can see the future in your eyes...", they almost sound like Queen. And I don't even like Queen. (Are they trying to challenge my musical tastes?!!) The fourth movement, "the serpent spoke to me...", begins all space-agey then goes for straight rock out and features some beautiful guitar passages and really unusual vocal harmonies that make you swoon. As that melts into diffusion, a plaintive piano is heard and the lone voice, "where will you go when our love's gone, when this world of ours is nothing more than a long lost song..." brings the song to it's stunning, and dark, conclusion. The vocal prowess displayed in this song alone is astonishing, to say the least.
This number just came at me in pieces, and when I first heard it I thought, "gee, the first five songs are great...really short, but great", until I realized it was all connected. The remainder of the album covers a wide range of rock styles from the classic era, to which
Blitzen Trapper give a creative, original and contemporary spin.
Eric Earley always wrote compelling lyrics, but I think he has surpassed himself here. And the music is more experimental and challenging, forcing the listener to pay close attention. You're compelled to listen to what he's saying, as he takes you on his quest for the deeper or hidden, meanings of life. Watching him juggle duties on guitar, keys and harmonica, sometimes all in the same song, and catching up with his biography, I was fascinated, but not surprised, to find out about his other artistic ventures. These include a live theatrical presentation of the unintentionally hilarious '60's film, Manos: The Hands of Fate, which enjoyed a healthy run in Portland, and the concurrent writing of two novels, giving him extra credence as a multi-tasker.
After that first, ambitious number, they follow with a deceptively uptempo "Laughing Lover", but just in case you think they're getting too happy, the final line reminds us, "You're the laughing lover covered in tears". "Below the Hurricane" is a folk beauty with guitar and piano and a rain-soaked atmosphere. A lonely harmonica embellishes "The Man Who Would Speak True", telling a western fable about murdering Grace. A woman or the state of...? and the inevitable retribution, "for the truth, in truth, is a terrible jest...".
They venture into blues/rock territory in "Love and Hate", and "Heaven and Earth" is an extraordinarily moving song, about standing at the edge of civilization, staring into eternity, acknowledging that there may, actually, be hope. It's a song that, I think, compares favorably to something as universally admired as
Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken" with a similar appeal. I think it's my favorite song at the moment.
photo by Jade Harris
There's more classic rock songs and references in "Dragon's Song", "Lover Leave Me Dreaming" and the closer, "Sadie". A remarkable duet with Adela Diane highlights "The Tree", which is a beautiful country/folk song in the tradition of
Richard and Mimi Farina. "Evening Star" is a good example of Eric's storytelling abilities, as a familiar tale unfolds of a young innocent, seduced and trashed by the high life, only to try to return to her roots, but told with a richness of detail as to make the narrative fresh and compelling.
I thought this would be easy to review, but it has been a challenge to come up with just the right way to describe my reaction to it. It's hypnotic and addictive and will surely place near the top of my 10 Best List this year.
Blitzen Trapper has not only done it again, they continue to top themselves. Released on June 8, 2010 by Sub Pop.
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