Destroyer – “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” (Singles Going Steady)

Tristan Kneschke: Destroyer has updated the film school classic La Jetée by Chris Marker, a bold move that captures what made the French original so arresting. For those who have never seen the short film, the sci-fi dystopia is remarkable for its visual style consisting of only still images captured in stark monochrome film. Often, the photographs capture several moments taken mere seconds from each other, creating a surreal middle ground between film and slideshow. Singer-songwriter Dan Bejar is clearly a fan, and faithfully recaptures the film’s iconic moments, including the odd eye guard sequences, the bit with the blinking woman, and the pivotal scene at the end from where the film takes its name. [8/10]

Adriane Pontecorvo: With lyrics as poetic and fascinating as ever, Destroyer puts together a repetitive synthpop song that lasts about two minutes too long. With the exception of the flurry of horn ornamentation in the last few seconds, nothing needs to happen once the Dan Bejar stops singing. This was never going to be a terribly interesting tune, and drawing it out doesn’t help. [3/10]

Ian Rushbury: Dan Bejar slips away from the New Pornographers and grabs a bunch of early New Order records on his way out. The tune pulses along nicely and Dan gives it his best Lou Reed stylings. Not even a weird skipping beat in the refrain can derail what we used to call, a very danceable groove. It’s got a hypnotic drive that after a minute or two, is curiously appealing. Gets better every time you hear it. [8/10]

William Nesbitt: I’m hitting that point in my life when everything starts me remind me of something else I’ve already seen or heard. These vocals sound like Bowie and the music sounds like something from the 1980s — all good things. The synthesizer and bass lock up well. What takes the tune to the next level is the second half, which begins with the lyrics “I was a dreamer / Watch me leave”, which are the final words of the song. From here we get some moody guitar, an elegant horn that later breaks apart, and bass that could come straight from a Cure song. All of this just rides out in a long, dreamy jam. The sound of being lost in the city and loving it. [8/10]

SCORE: 6.75