Destroyer's Rubies

Destroyer's Rubies is the seventh studio album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer, released on February 21, 2006 on Merge Records, Scratch Records, Acuarela Discos, Architecture, and Rough Trade Records.[3]

Destroyer's Rubies
Studio album by
Destroyer
ReleasedFebruary 21, 2006
Recordedsporadically from May 20 to July 23, 2005[1]
StudioJC/DC Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia
Genre
Length53:46
77:14 (bonus track)
Label
Producer
  • John Collins
  • David Carswell
Destroyer chronology
Notorious Lightning & Other Works
(2005)		 Destroyer's Rubies
(2006)		 Trouble in Dreams
(2008)

Musical style

Dan Bejar has stated that Destroyer's Rubies was intended to sound "Like a band playing in a room."[4] He also called the album a "very natural record," noting that he embraced traditional songwriters such as Bob Dylan along with "image-heavy rants, but with a melodious, loping, folk-rock background."[5] Lyrically, Bejar stated that the rest of the band is "coughing up so much melody" that he could do whatever he wanted with the words; the album was the "apex of [the lyrics] dueling with the music."[6][7] Pitchfork noted the use of stark acoustic guitar, and The New York Times described the album and as "elegant, shaggy version of classic rock," emphasizing the use of baritone saxophone, a tambourine, and Bejar's "weird, yelpy voice."[8][9]

Release

The album peaked at #24 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers music chart, and made it to #30 on the magazine's Top Independent Albums chart.[10]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Alternative Press4/5[13]
The A.V. ClubA[14]
Blender[15]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[16]
Pitchfork8.5/10[8]
PopMatters8/10[17]
SpinA−[18]
Uncut[19]
URB[20]

Destroyer's Rubies received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 88, based on 30 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[11] Matt LeMay of Pitchfork gave the album a very favorable review, stating: "The album is structurally complex, thematically dense, and labyrinthine in its self-referentiality. Dan Bejar's vocals are, like many of his indie contemporaries, yelpy and dramatic, and many of his lyrics seem preordained to serve as mp3 blog headers. In other words, the qualities that once made Destroyer albums so 'difficult' make Destroyer's Rubies a perfect record for this critical moment."[8]

Pitchfork placed Destroyer's Rubies at number 158 on their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.[21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dan Bejar

No.TitleLength
1."Rubies"9:25
2."Your Blood"4:14
3."European Oils"4:52
4."Painter in Your Pocket"4:09
5."Looters' Follies"7:25
6."3000 Flowers"3:46
7."A Dangerous Woman Up to a Point"6:01
8."Priest's Knees"3:06
9."Watercolours into the Ocean"4:43
10."Sick Priest Learns to Last Forever"5:53
Total length:53:46
Bonus track[22]
No.TitleRemixerLength
11."Loscil's Rubies"
  • I. "Corundums"
  • II. "Sapphire Dub"
  • III. "Carmine"
Loscil23:28
Total length:77:14

Personnel

Notes
  1. "Destroyer – Destroyer's Rubies (2006, CD)". Discogs.
  2. Pitchfork Staff (October 2, 2009). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 28, 2023. ...and Destroyer's Rubies is his best-yet work under the moniker. The tics and themes that make his music so undeniably his are all here, as is the shaggy jazz and folk-rock...
  3. "Destroyer (4) - Destroyer's Rubies". Discogs.
  4. Hannan, Thomas (2 December 2013). "Destroyer: "I've always liked singing in Spanish so I thought I should try it"". Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  5. McGovern, Kyle (3 August 2015). "The SPIN Interview: Destroyer's Dan Bejar". SPIN. Valence Media. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  6. Prickett, Sam (9 October 2017). "Treating depravity: A conversation with Destroyer's Dan Bejar". Treble. Treble Media. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  7. LeMay, Matt (12 June 2006). "Destroyer". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  8. LeMay, Matt (February 20, 2006). "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  9. Sanneth, Kelefa (23 February 2006). "A Singer on the Brink of Self-Sabotage". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  10. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 11 March 2006. pp. 66–67. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  11. "Reviews for Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer". Metacritic. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  12. Monger, James Christopher. "Destroyer's Rubies – Destroyer". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  13. "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". Alternative Press (213): 204. April 2006.
  14. Battaglia, Andy (February 15, 2006). "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  15. Sinagra, Laura (April 2006). "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". Blender (46): 111. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  16. Hermes, Will (February 20, 2006). "Destroyer's Rubies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  17. Kelly, Jennifer (February 19, 2006). "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". PopMatters. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  18. "Quick Cuts". Spin. 22 (3): 95. March 2006. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  19. "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". Uncut (119): 94. April 2007.
  20. "Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies". URB (135): 96. April 2006.
  21. Pitchfork staff (September 28, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200–151". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  22. "Destroyer – Destroyer's Rubies (2006, Vinyl)". Discogs.
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