Over the last decade, there has been a strange emergence in the indie rock world that has made people feel downright silly for only tuning in now. It has also built an even stranger devotion that can only be described as fanatical and a bit obsessive. Oh Ye, Blitzen Trapper, you are back! When Sub Pop picked these guys up to release their, what is now an indie classic, fourth album Furr, something magical happened for fans of true American folk and experimental rock. And it has happened again. BT’s fifth release, Destroyer Of The Void, brings us back onto the padded wagon traveling westward bound at a slow trot through the heart, body, and soul.
The question that is sure to be skewered into conversations around your dirty coffee table is obvious: Is this album better than their last? The answer is simple: Yes. And no. And this confusion folks is exactly the evidence needed to prove that Blitzen Trapper is one of the greatest bands to stomp around with indie-folk tunes in their hearts. Destroyer of the Void might not have the same high tempo you might expect, but Eric Earley comes back stronger than ever with his captivating tales of adventure, excitement, and heartbreak. And in the latter sense, this album is far more superior. When you hear “Below the Hurricane” you can instantly pinpoint the advancement from the hidden gem off Furr, “Lady on the Water”. As they did on this song, and throughout the album’s entirety, these Portland folk lords took their mathematically configured recipe for success, and brought it up to not the next, but to a whole brand new level.
Destroyer of The Void holds entirely well on its own without the comparisons to their earlier work if you let it. Each song is still a melody that will get your train-hopping spirit into motion and will leave you breathless as they move from acoustic-based, folk-based tracks, to electric and keyboard infused moments of hyperactivity (see “Love & Hate”). For long time fans, this album may very well become your favorite, or simply another contribution to your ever-changing BT iTunes playlist. What can be said without one inkling of doubt is this: This is an album that is nothing if it isn’t timeless and another beautiful display of one of the finest American groups of our time.
Stop by the band’s website to stream the entire album, as well as pick up a couple of free tracks via a neat little widget. Because Blitzen Trapper loves you guys. A lot.
Download: “Heaven And Earth” by Blitzen Trapper
[audio:100423-blitzen-trapper-heaven-and-earth.mp3|titles=Heaven And Earth|artists=Blitzen Trapper]
Sub Pop Records [CD, 2010]
1. Destroyer of the Void
2. Laughing Lover
3. Below The Hurricane
4. The Man Who Would Speak True
5. Love and Hate
6. Heaven and Earth
7. Dragon’s Song
8. The Tree (feat. Alela Diane)
9. Evening Star
10. Lover Leave Me Drowning
11. The Tailor
12. Sadie
