Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void

Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void

2010

Sub Pop Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 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  9. Evening Star  10. Lover Leave Me Drowning  11. The Tailor  12. Sadie


I like that album cover...There's something so oddly human about that four-eyed bull...He seems like a really good dude for some reason...

I feel like he's a relative of the bull-with-a -vaguely-human-ass from the Blink 182 "Dude Ranch" cover...



As for the music...Oh, I love this one...For me, this beats the pants off of "Furr." They took their indie-roots sound, added a bit of prog here and there,  and actually come out with something that feels like an honest-to-God FM-ready classic rock record...It's hard to believe I didn't grow up with these songs...On "Furr" it often  felt like; This is obviously a Neil young-style song, this is obviously a Bob Dylan-style song...but they seem to blend their influences more evenly here...

The album opens with the epic, six and a half minute title track that will give you flashbacks of every great 70's album that you've ever listened to...Oooo, that Led Zeppelin section at about the 3:40 minute mark hits the spot...

So much cool stuff to hear on this record...Every single song has something fantastic about it...In particular, I dig "Heaven and Earth." It's really just vocals, piano and some strings but it sounds so massive...So important...and best of all, it stays stuck in your head all day..."The Tree" is another must-hear song...In the same style as "Furr",  it's a sweet, acoustic, psychedelic campfire tale that sounds like a dream...Is it basically just a re-write of "Mr Tambourine Man"? Yes. But what a re-write!

 "Dragon's Song" gives us a glimpse of what Wilco would sound like if they could loosen up and have some fun....I also believe that classic rock radio needs to update their playlists to included the album-closer "Sadie." I know it's only from 2010, but it's hard to think of another song that makes me so nostalgic for the 70's...Perfect piano pop...

Holy four-eyed cow, I can't recommend this album enough...Let's check out this cool live version of "Sadie" by Blitzen Trapper...Enjoy...