<p><span lang="en-AU"><em>- Have We Met</em></span><span lang="en-AU"> is the thirteenth album in the dense discography of Canadian band, Destroyer. Essentially the solo project of singer-songwriter </span><span lang="en-AU"><strong>Dan Bejar</strong></span><span lang="en-AU">, Destroyer’s music traverses a plethora of genres and sonic landscapes, spanning from their earlier lof-fi / acoustic releases to their newer hi-fi / electronic releases. With </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>Have We Met</em></span><span lang="en-AU"> fitting into the latter category, it exemplifies the progress of Bejar, who has significantly developed in his ability to craft a compelling album. </span></p>
<p><span lang="en-AU">Known for his loquacious lyrics that sound as if they are being ad libbed in the studio, Bejar has a penchant for eschewing discernible melodies in favour of a conversational singing style. This is the case on six-minute opener </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>Crimson Tide</em></span><span lang="en-AU"> where the album’s opening line is followed by “</span><span lang="en-AU"><em>no, wait, I take that back</em></span><span lang="en-AU">”. This is followed by a colourful keyboard kicking in with a circular melody reminiscent of </span><span lang="en-AU"><strong>The War On Drugs</strong></span><span lang="en-AU">. As the song continues, it is devoid of salient structure, leaving Bejar’s sardonic lyrics such as, “</span><span lang="en-AU"><em>I thought I was smart – I’m not / I thought I was sick and dying</em></span><span lang="en-AU">,” alone to grab the listener’s attention. Ultimately, this gambit is successful as the lyrics are the most memorable parts of most of the songs, with the music often failing to leave much of an indelible mark on the listener’s consciousness. However, an honourable mention should be given to funky track, </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>Cue Synthesiser</em></span><span lang="en-AU">, which is instantly enjoyable due to the slap-bass, sharp drumbeat and fun guitar licks. </span></p>
<p><span lang="en-AU">A highlight on the album is fifth track, </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>The Raven</em></span><span lang="en-AU">, which starts with a great opening line. “</span><span lang="en-AU"><em>Just look at the world around you / Actually, no, don’t look</em></span><span lang="en-AU">”. </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>The Raven</em></span><span lang="en-AU"> builds up slowly upon a cacophony of static before bass, shaker and keyboard enliven the song, which eventually opens up with a steady drum beat and lead guitar licks. Devoid of choruses, </span><span lang="en-AU"><em>Have We Met</em></span><span lang="en-AU"> is replete with songs that opt for the repetition of key phrases instead. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it makes the songs and album as a whole less impactful. Although this isn’t conducive to pop music, it serves Destroyer well, as they have built up a loyal fan-base that love the band for their ornate songs. </span></p>
<p lang="en-AU">- Jon Cloumassis.</p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1920339613/size=large/bgcol=f… width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/06ZLNLz2yGI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>rent=true/" seamless><a href="http://destroyer.bandcamp.com/album/have-we-met">Have We Met by Destroyer</a></iframe>