Based on the title track of Blitzen Trapper's Destroyer of the Void, you'd be forgiven for thinking that all bands from the Pacific Northwest employ bucolic five-part harmonies. It's true that this Portland-based band bears some similarities to Sub Pop labelmates Fleet Foxes in the group-singing department, but Blitzen Trapper opts for a more shaggy, classic-rock vibe to even out the peaceful, easy Americana feelings. Elsewhere on Destroyer, singer Eric Earley leads the band through XTC-esque pop songs, Supertramp-indebted piano stompers and enough proggy synth flourishes to keep early Genesis fans happy. But Earley is a storyteller by trade, and his easygoing tenor is an invitation to his knotty and beguiling lyrics.
