This Night
is a sometimes-fragile, sometimes-bombastic
folk-rock
record that plays like early-'70s
Bowie
jamming with
Bright Eyes
.
Daniel Bejar
's bittersweet songwriting and the sparkling production match his
Dylan
wordplay, earthy strumming, and crunchy, skyward electric guitar riffs to establish
solidly as
Destroyer
's
Hunky Dory
. From
"Holly Going Lightly"
-- an
indie rock
tune of operatic proportions and utter levity -- to the dark,
"The Bewlay Brothers"
-meets-
Calexico
"The Chosen Few,"
it's clear that this comparison would sit perfectly well with
Bejar
. And so what if he takes his influences so seriously?
fans have been waiting for another
since 1972.
follows through on that wish without ever being a simple sound-alike and, in the process, adds a welcome dose of
Grandaddy
, the criminally underrated
Television Personalites
, and even some good old
Lou Reed
rock
"Snow White"
is the most cryptic and downright moving hat-tip to
"Sweet Jane"
and
Reed
's favorite state of being ("Hey, Snow White/It's gonna be alright") and one of the most zoned-out, uncomplicated, and gratifying
tunes of the year. ~ Charles Spano