Have We Met
Studio album by
Destroyer
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2020
Length42:11
Label
ProducerJohn Collins
Destroyer chronology
Ken
(2017)		 Have We Met
(2020)		 Labyrinthitis
(2022)
Singles from Have We Met
  1. "Crimson Tide"
    Released: October 22, 2019
  2. "It Just Doesn't Happen"
    Released: November 19, 2019
  3. "Cue Synthesizer"
    Released: January 8, 2020

Have We Met is the twelfth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer, released on January 31, 2020, by Merge Records and Dead Oceans.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Background and recording

Have We Met was initially conceived by group leader Dan Bejar as a "Y2K album" with instrumentals inspired by the music of Björk, Air, and Massive Attack and 90's trip hop.[9][10][11][12] The concept was quickly scrapped,[9][10] with Bejar later explaining in an interview with Stereogum, "It wasn't a sound that really conjured up anything to anyone."[13] Bejar characterizes the album as a "record born of isolation" with the motif of "a couple individuals huddled around the glow of the computer light."[12] The album features a return to Bejar's stream of consciousness lyrics, previously employed on Kaputt (2011).[9][10]

The album's recording style marks a shift from the band-orientated recording approach of previous Destroyer albums.[9][10] Bejar recorded vocals for the album at night at his kitchen table, singing into a microphone connected to his laptop running GarageBand.[14] He sent the vocals as well as demos of the album's songs to longtime producer John Collins, who worked on the songs on his laptop and iPad for three months at his home in Seattle,[14] adding layers of synthesizers and rhythm sections with guitar lines by Nicolas Bragg.[9][10] Collins also used fragments from previous Destroyer recording sessions to create soundscapes, including saxophone from Kaputt and trumpet from Poison Season (2015).[14]

Collins also produced and mixed the album.[9][10] Commenting on Collins's involvement. Bejar said "I'd just give the whole thing to John and have him just blow it up, flesh it out -- swap out my s--tty fake drums for cool drums, and play bass on it, and make the synths cool and not generic, and make the songs move."[12] Most of the finished tracks on the album feature the first or seconds takes of the vocals that Bejar recorded.[13] Bejar initially never planned to use the vocal recordings, calling them "the most piss-poor things that I've done since" the Destroyer album We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge (1995) which he recorded on 4-track.[13] However, he became attached to the first takes he recorded since he felt they captured a vibe that "was enough to anchor the whole record."[13]

In its press release and subsequent interviews, Bejar said the album was partially influenced by 1980s films, including White Nights (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) in an attempt to make the album "really film noir-ish and spooky."[15][13] The album was also influenced by the minimalism of 1980s hip hop music, the soundtracks of Korean horror movies, the five-hour director's cut of Until the End of the World (1991), and Leonard Cohen's last albums.[14] Bejar admits the finished album was "more poppy than I envisioned."[12]

Music and lyrics

"University Hill" is a reference to University Endowment Lands, located west of Vancouver, where Bejar lived when he was young.[14] Speaking with The Quietus, Bejar describes the lyrics of Have We Met as "the most grotesque" when "compared to all other Destroyer records."[11]

Release

The album was announced on October 22, 2019, and "Crimson Tide" was released as its first single with an accompanying music video directed by David Galloway.[16] A North American tour in support of the album was announced the same day, beginning in February 2020.[17] "It Just Doesn't Happen" was released as the album's second single on November 19, 2019, accompanied by a music video featuring a snowmobile rider driving in the dark.[18][19][20] "Cue Synthesizer" was released as the album's third single on January 8, 2020, accompanied by a music video directed by David Ehrenreich.[21][22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
Exclaim!7/10[25]
The Guardian[26]
Mojo[27]
NME[28]
Pitchfork8.5/10[29]
PopMatters8/10[30]
Q[31]
Rolling Stone[32]
Uncut8/10[33]

Jason Anderson of Uncut praised the album's "plusher aesthetic and eager melodicism" and singled out "Crimson Tide", "The Raven" and "The Man in Black's Blues" as "irresistible examples of Bejar's blend of soft rock, dream-pop and more idiosyncratic elements."[33] Danny Eccleston of Mojo gave the album a positive review, characterizing it as "a richly inventive 21st century version of mid-'80s UK art pop."[27] Writing for Exclaim, Matthew Blenkarn characterized the lyrics of the tracks "The Television Music Supervisor," and "Crimson Tide" as "dead end," concluding "it makes for immersive listening, even when tracks fail to sustain themselves."[25]

Year-end lists

Year-end lists for Have We Met
Publication List Rank Ref.
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2020
17
The Guardian The 50 best albums of 2020
49
NBHAP 50 Best Albums of 2020
19
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2020
18
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far
42
Uncut The Top 75 Albums of the Year
36
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2020
20

Track listing

Have We Met track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Crimson Tide"6:09
2."Kinda Dark"3:25
3."It Just Doesn't Happen"5:01
4."The Television Music Supervisor"4:09
5."The Raven"3:35
6."Cue Synthesizer"3:55
7."University Hill"3:39
8."Have We Met"2:54
9."The Man in Black's Blues"3:39
10."Foolssong"5:45
Total length:42:11

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Have We Met.[42]

  • Dan Bejar – vocals, synthesizer
  • John Collins – production, mixing, bass, synthesizer, drum programming, granular synthesis
  • Nicolas Bragg – guitar
  • Joe LaPorta – mastering
  • Maegan Hill-Carroll – front and back cover photos, design

Charts

Sales chart performance for Have We Met
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[43] 135
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[44] 95
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[45] 39

See also

References

  1. ↑ Minsker, Evan (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Announces New Album Have We Met, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ Reed, Ryan (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Prep New LP 'Have We Met,' Surreal Song 'Crimson Tide'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  3. ↑ Schatz, Lake (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer announces new album Have We Met, shares "Crimson Tide": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  4. ↑ Murray, Robin (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Announces New Album 'Have We Met'". Clash. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  5. ↑ Hakimian, Rob (October 23, 2019). "Track Of The Day: Destroyer lets his synth proclivities wander on 'Crimson Tide'". The 405. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer announces new album with lead single "Crimson Tide"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  7. ↑ Darville, Jordan (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer shares "Crimson Tide," announces new album Have We Met". The Fader. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  8. ↑ Goodridge, Hayden (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Announce New Album, Share Lead Single "Crimson Tide"". Paste. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Destroyer Announces New LP 'Have We Met' + Shares New Single/Video "Crimson Tide"". Dead Oceans. October 22, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Destroyer - Have We Met". Merge Records. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Clarke, Patrick (January 27, 2020). "Master Of Ceremonies: An Interview With Destroyer's Dan Bejar". The Quietus. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Kelly, Zach (January 30, 2020). "Inspirations: Destroyer's Sonic Reinvention and 'Lyrically Nightmarish' New LP 'Have We Met'". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Lyons, Patrick (January 23, 2020). "Cue Fake Drums: Dan Bejar On Destroyer's Have We Met". Stereogum. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Dombal, Ryan (January 14, 2020). "Destroyer's Dan Bejar Serenades the Apocalypse". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  15. ↑ Headley, Janice (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Announces New Album, Shares Video for Single "Crimson Tide"". KEXP. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  16. ↑ DeVille, Chris (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer – "Crimson Tide" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  17. ↑ Gregory, Allie (October 22, 2019). "Destroyer Announces New Album 'Have We Met,' Plots North American Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  18. ↑ DeVille, Chris (November 19, 2019). "Destroyer – "It Just Doesn't Happen" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  19. ↑ Ehrlich, Brenna (November 19, 2019). "Song You Need To Know: Destroyer, 'It Just Doesn't Happen'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  20. ↑ Minsker, Evan (November 19, 2019). "Destroyer Shares New Song "It Just Doesn't Happen": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  21. ↑ Torres, Eric (January 8, 2020). "Watch Destroyer's Video for New Song "Cue Synthesizer"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ Quinlan, Keely (January 8, 2020). "Destroyer – "Cue Synthesizer" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Have We Met by Destroyer Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  24. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Have We Met - Destroyer". AllMusic. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  25. 1 2 Blenkarn, Matthew (January 28, 2020). "Destroyer Have We Met". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  26. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (January 30, 2020). "Destroyer: Have We Met review – synth-pop adventures in small-hours terror". The Guardian. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  27. 1 2 Eccleston, Danny (March 2020). "Smash it up: Dan Bejar's elliptical 13th aims to destroy all previous long-players". Mojo. No. 316. p. 88.
  28. ↑ Britton, Luke Morgan (January 27, 2020). "Destroyer – 'Have We Met' review: irony laced retro-futurism from a master of his craft". NME. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  29. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (January 31, 2020). "Destroyer: Have We Met Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  30. ↑ Bromfield, Daniel (February 4, 2020). "Destroyer's 'Have We Met' Is Dan Bejar's Best Album Since 2011's 'Kaputt'". PopMatters. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  31. ↑ Segal, Victoria (March 2020). "The Bewitching Hour: Canadian flâneur reintroduces his mysterious, shadowy world". Q. No. 408. p. 121.
  32. ↑ "Destroyer - Have We Met". Rolling Stone. No. 1336. February 2020. p. 85.
  33. 1 2 Anderson, Jason (March 2020). "Destroyer - Have We Met". Uncut. No. 274. p. 27.
  34. ↑ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020". Exclaim!. December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  35. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2020: 50-41". The Guardian. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  36. ↑ "NBHAP's 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Nothing but Hope and Passion. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  37. ↑ Hogan, Marc (December 8, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  39. ↑ "The Top 75 Albums Of The Year". Uncut. No. 284. January 2021. p. 74.
  40. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Have We Met by Destroyer". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  42. ↑ Have We Met (liner notes). Destroyer. Merge Records. 2020. MRG709.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Destroyer – Have We Met" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Destroyer – Have We Met" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Destroyer – Have We Met". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
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