Destroyer Of The Void

They hew to a similar early-'70s aura -- nodding to a time when spacey keyboard effects and alt-country dust carried serious cachet.

With an opener as strong as Destroyer of the Void, you could be forgiven for being disappointed that it is the collection's sole foray into spacey prog-pop territory and not the tip of the iceberg in a likeminded collection.

While there are definitely a handful of superb tracks you'll still be rocking two years from now; there are a bunch you won't. [Spring 2010, p.62]

We get their most pastoral outing to date, piano ballads one minutes, laid-back Neil Young the next. [July 2010, p. 129]

The band’s fifth record operates with a mercurial, decade-spanning dishevelment.

From track to track, singer/guitarist Eric Early and company bounce from folk rock to prog, psychedelic pop to southern rock without breaking a sweat, paying homage to their forefathers without ever ripping them off.

Destroyer of the Void isn’t a bad album, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect well upon Blitzen Trapper’s changes as a band.

Destroyer of the Void is a fitting reminder of what’s possible when you already have such a strong catalog of music under your belt: exceptional music that always seems to beautifully connect, no matter how varying the sounds may be.

Trading low-fi ruggedness for gorgeous Americana pop, they conjure Dylan circa John Wesley Harding and proggy ELO but with bong-stoked epiphanies all their own.

Technically impressive, immaculately arranged and performed, Destroyer of the Void removes the kitchen sink from the equation early in the record, which helps pave the way for Destroyer of the Void, the album, to unfold, and while there’s nothing here to match the instant gratification of songs like “God + Suicide” and the lovely title track from 2008’s Furr, there’s enough meat on these bones to suggest that the band hasn’t lost its knack for crafting spiritually charged, enigmatic woodcuts of 21st century Americana.

It would seem that Destroyer Of The Void is an album that manages to both impress initially and continue to reveal virtues well into repeat spins; a trick that ensures the satisfaction of all manner of listeners, and one that reflects Blitzen Trapper's growing reputation as something of a must-hear.

Things get more interesting when the band loosens up a bit on the multi-part title track; layered harmonies, elegant harpsichord and celestial synthesizers give way to a flamboyant mid-section with some unusually strident, glam-rock guitar.

The result is another opus-de-Americana washed in experimental folk-rock—a zealous, if unfocused, tale of back-road pain and otherworldly redemption.

This is Blitzen Trapper’s fifth album, and there’s a sturdy professionalism evident on each of the songs. But it’s such a faithful recreation of a particular style that its appeal will in all likelihood be correspondingly limited.

There's nothing wrong with Destroyer of the Void, but it's not the thrill one would have wished for.

Unfortunately, the album delivers nothing remotely as snappy as Furr's more immediate sonic treats and there are only a scant few moments when it seems to aim at serving up anything more than your garden variety folk-rock songs.

Void is an album by a band that’s mature enough to know what it wants and to focus its sound, but there’s a restlessness to these tracks that indicates it won’t be long before Blitzen Trapper strikes out for new territory.

Though it lacks the immediacy of Furr, Destroyer of the Void’s surface ripples with a steady, concentrated drip—confident in the strength of nuance’s eclipse.

This fifth set (their second since breaking out) pushes the city limits of their fantasy world even wider and masks an uncomfortable truth.

On an album that quite simply comes up lacking in spots, they provide a healthy dose of the same brilliant elegance found on "Furr."

The 12 artfully crafted songs here suggest Blitzen Trapper should now be judged in the elevated company of Wilco, Brendan Benson and The Raconteurs. [Jul 2010, p.113]

Might as well slot this Portland, Oregon, Sextet on Bonnarooo's schedule for the next decade. [Jul 1010, p.122]

Harpischord, bombast and multi-tracked vocals create an eerily outdated sound, setting Destroyer of the Void's stall as an overblown oddity.