Dan Bejar is over English.
“It was 2013. The English language seemed spent, despicable, not easily singable,” the Canadian singer said in a press statement. “It felt over for English. Good for business transactions, but that’s about it.”
Bejar’s solution — record his music in the only other language he knows — Spanish. His band, Destroyer, has a new EP simply titled “Five Spanish Songs.” An album of covers, it marks a major departure for Destroyer, as the previous songs in their catalogue have all been sung in English.
Usually, Spanish-speaking artists try to cross over by singing songs in English. Unusual as Bejar’s choice may be, it is a fitting one considering Destroyer’s recent direction.
The band’s earliest successes came with more experimental music. “Streethawk: A Seduction” was the band’s critical breakthrough, and its standout tracks were intricate, staccato constructions — far from easy listening.
Fast forward to the band’s most recent critical success, 2011’s LP, “Kaputt.” The songs on this album echoed ’70s cheese music. The songs sounded lush and full, but soothed with the occasional mellow saxophone or delicate guitar. “Songs” picks up where “Kaputt” left off. The tracks are smooth and delicate listens, representing a far cry from the jarring art rock of earlier albums.
“Songs” is also an even more pronounced step in the direction of lite rock. The album is smooth sailing throughout, whereas “Kaputt” had rhythmic wordplay that broke things up. The lyrics on “Chinatown,” for example, are “You can’t believe/Though I’m sure somebody said it before/I know you and I know the score.”
Admittedly, for this reason, it will be a bit more difficult for non-Spanish speakers to differentiate tracks. What makes a Destroyer song memorable is a particularly surreal couplet or curious rhyme. But still, for those who enjoyed the sound of “Kaputt,” “Five Spanish Songs” is good music in any language.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 26 print edition. Jake Folsom is music editor. Email him at [email protected].
