Kaputt

Built on a foundation of soft rock and mellow acid-jazz, Kaputt is dominated by shimmering synthesizers, treated drum beats, and languid trumpet and saxophone wrapped in reverb. This sonic landscape seems odd at first, yet soon settles in as the songs unfold. “Chinatown” has a straightforward guitar-pop structure with gauzy electronica touches; there are distant echoes of Steely Dan and Roxy Music in “Blue Eyes”; “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker” begins as meditation music and ends with a trippy disco beat; and “Song for America” is shimmering light funk. Dan Bejar even wraps up the album with an eleven-minute outpouring, “Bay of Pigs.” Bejar’s distinct vocals are drowsy and sly in this setting, and he’s supported beautifully by Sibel Thrasher on backing vocals on several tracks. Bejar’s lyrics remain allusive, mysterious, and difficult to unravel. He’s witty one line and seemingly random the next, all of which adds to the allure and enjoyment. (As he sings in “Blue Eyes:” “I write poetry for myself!”) Ambitious and intriguing, Kaputt is an impressive statement by a true musical chameleon.