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Nov 25, 2013Not surprisingly, Luque, a verbose and enigmatic lyricist, is the perfect match for Bejar (they're also both hirsute rock & roll outliers), and the five-track collection requires little in the way of translation.
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Dec 16, 2013He’s brought the whole Destroyer vibe to an entirely non-Destroyer set of material, and you can feel the waves of cool detachment, of stylish artifice wafting off these tunes just the same as always.
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Nov 26, 2013Detroyer missteps are rare, and while Five Spanish Songs won’t go down as one of his most memorable albums (even the title implies this is a somewhat tossed-off diversion), it shows that he can continue to take risks and create albums that both placate and challenge his listeners.
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Dec 2, 2013It’s simply a beautiful little record that anyone can enjoy.
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Dec 2, 2013[A] sumptuous five track EP that's as melodious as its predecessor but, semi-sadly, not as memorable, not quite as fulfilling, nor as enriching.
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Dec 2, 2013Regardless of their supporting tropes, the songs prove themselves consistently memorable and enjoyable. It’s another home run for Bejar--an all-too-short taster that will leave you dreaming of Spain’s mountains and deserts, and longing for more.
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Nov 25, 2013Five Spanish Songs is satisfying enough for its 20-minute runtime, but it definitely lacks the heft of his recent work; without his distinctive lyrics, it doesn't really feel like proper Destroyer.
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MagnetDec 18, 2013Bejar's fans will clearly identify his unique musical fingerprint, and may have no clearer understanding of these songs than anything else in Destroyer's incomprehensively wonderful pop oeuvre in the King's English. [No. 105, p.54]
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Dec 2, 2013Bejar has a wondrous lyrical facility that it’d be a shame for him to forsake--but he’s also possessed of a beguiling, breezy touch that acts as a musical lingua franca here.
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Dec 2, 2013Bejar’s singing with admitted half-fluency in another language is no barrier to enjoyment. Actually, it removes an element of his style that can frustrate some of us.
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Dec 6, 2013Five Spanish Songs is clearly more than a mere genre exercise--it’s a respectful, and very much tuneful, tip of the cap from one songwriter to another, which transcends language.
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Nov 25, 2013Five Spanish Songs never feels like an vanity-project indulgence, but rather a clear, concerted effort on Bejar’s part to communicate why Luque’s songs are so special to him.
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Nov 25, 2013Mr. Bejar’s versions of Mr. Luque’s songs--“Maria de las Nieves,” “Del Monton,” “El Rito,” “Babieca,” and “Bye Bye”--are a little more down at the heels than the Sr. Chinarro originals, but they’re honest covers of lovely songs, sung with care.
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Nov 26, 2013Whether or not you require Google's assistance in understanding said lyrics shouldn't affect your enjoyment here as a fan of Bejar's singular touch.