Out Of Babel - The Destroyers Album Review

The Destroyers

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Album Review

Rarely does an album come along that can be called unique; not just in its style, instrumentation and lyrics, but with a force that almost defies description. "Out Of Babel" is one. From Paul Murphy's deep, resonant monotone on the opening "Utopia Bypass", you know this is not going to be any run-of-the-mill album. And boy, it isn't.

"Out Of Babel" is the debut album from the 15-strong band of folk-punk instrumentalists and vocalists known collectively as The Destroyers, who parade a mix of Balkan Gypsy, beat poetry, Klesmer and Latin folk, wrapped around a Gothic subtext. All of which put together makes for an album that surprises, amuses and confuses in varying degrees.

At one end of the spectrum there is "The Stork Crossing the Dudley Canal", violinist Leighton Hargreaves's instrumental composition bearing reference to the outfit's Midlands roots; while at the other are two songs sung entirely in Italian, of which "Questa Canzone" stands out in arrangement. Then there are the 'story tales' "The Glass Coffin Burial of Professor Zurinak" is a dark Gothic visualisation which opens again with Murphy's hypnotic monotone (someone should really get this man on voice-overs), drawing the listener into an experiment that leaves the Professor buried alive in a glass coffin (told you this album is different). In "Methuselah Mouse", we have a laboratory mouse hero who, after being born and bred in captivity for scientific longevity drug-testing, makes a break for freedom - only to be zapped when he does by a big black cat.

Twelve tracks, forty-seven minutes, and probably more fun and entertainment therein than you'd find in a whole weekend at any music festival. "Like a carnival on cable, a bhangra jazzy funky tale", runs a line from the title track - it also sums up the album itself.

The Destroyers won't appeal to the masses - their style is too unique for that - but if you're looking for something that's against the mainstream you won't find better than this.

Alex Litton