Destroyer Prep New Album With Springsteen-Inspired Song ‘Dream Lover’
Destroyer, the ever-evolving project of Vancouver musician Dan Bejar, has released a roaring new track, “Dream Lover,” off their upcoming album, Poison Season, which arrives August 28th via Merge.
Destroyer’s last full-length, 2011’s Kaputt, was noted for its smooth, yacht rock stylings, as evidenced on the title track, which prominently featured a smooth saxophone. The sax remains in Destroyer’s arsenal on “Dream Lover,” only now its bleats are reminiscent of Clarence Clemons, and the entire track — with its driving backbeat and Bejar’s striving vocals — serves as an endearing homage to Born to Run-era Bruce Springsteen.
The rest of Poison Season treads similar sonic territory, while also drawing from Scottish post-punk and New Wave bands like Orange Juice and Aztec Camera. Much of the album was inspired by “Times Square, Poison Season,” a lengthy song Bejar tracked live with a quintet and ultimately split into the two songs that bookend the LP.
“That song always swung between super austere and super mid-1970s Springsteen/Bowie street-rock,” Bejar said. “In the end, I decided I wanted both. Couldn’t really figure out a way to sequence the orchestral version within the record, so I decided to carve it up as a book-ending motif, with the rock version squarely in the middle.”
Bejar will accompany Poison Season with a limited edition two-song 12-inch that includes the orchestral “Times Square, Poison Season,” along with a a remix of “Forces From Above.” Both that, and the album, are available to pre-order through the Merge store.
Bejar is also scheduled to embark on a massive world tour this fall. Destroyer’s North American itinerary is below (international dates are available on the band’s website), as well as the Poison Season‘s track list.
Poison Season track list
1. “Times Square, Poison Season”
2. “Dream Lover”
3. “Forces From Above”
4. “Hell”
5. “The River”
6. “Girl in a Sling”
7. “Times Square”
8. “Archer on the Beach”
9. “Midnight Meet the Rain”
10. “Solace’s Bride”
11. “Bangkok”
12. “Sun in the Sky”
13. “Times Square, Poison Season II”
Destroyer tour dates
September 18 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
September 19 — San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
September 20 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
September 21 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
September 23 — Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
September 24 — Dallas, TX @ Trees
September 25 — Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
September 26 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
September 27 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
September 29 — Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
September 30 — Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
October 1 — Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
October 2 — Boston, MA @ Royale
October 3 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
October 4 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
October 5 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
October 7 — Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
October 8 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
October 9 — Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
October 10 — Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
October 11 — St. Louise, MO @ The Ready Room
October 13 — Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater
October 14 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
October 15 — Boise, ID @ Neurolux
October 16 — Seattle, WA @ The Neptune
October 17 — Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom