Composed around Walter's breath controlled synth (Electronic Valve Instrument), Destroyer naturally comes forth with a unique sound, something akin to a soundscape affected with the tiniest amount of warble and wiggle; notes that would remain strong on a standard synth have a whole different feeling and sound played with the EVI. Making the most of this, Walter is able to build alongside this feeling and evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, but soaked with a strange otherworldness...like the "uncanny valley." This leads to many mental comparisons to pieces from the past, different times and places, and adds even more warmth to an album that already feels deeply rooted in one's being. Even "1002" feels like something one may have heard at any number of weddings they've attended, that whole, "do I already know this" vibe. It's a weird thing, to be so close to a newer piece of music, feeling like it has been a part of your existence for ages, but it's really just existing adjacent to other memories and feelings. Even the jazzy horns on "Fear 17" conjure up hundreds of memories, both real and on celluloid, begging to reappear from the recesses of one's mind.

 

While all albums are better experienced than just read about, Destroyer needs to be heard, enjoyed, digested, and played again. Like a mimic, Walter's latest skulks around one's memory banks as something familiar, something that has been around for many years. Tugging at past feelings and emotions, Destroyer nuzzles in and convinces the listener that it's always been there, was there with them from the beginning. It's an amazing feat for this album to hit so close to just the sound of memory itself that by doing so, it starts to weave itself into one's past. One must acknowledge and analyze the past to move into a better future, so Destroyer helps bring more to light than just what is on the record.