Never one to stick to the same formula, Destroyer's Dan Bejar is up to new tricks on his eighth studio effort. Utilizing a full-band approach as seen on 2006's grandiose "Destroyer's Rubies," "Trouble in Dreams" is a less pop-oriented affair that finds Bejar moving in a more streamlined direction—for him, at least. Lyrically, he remains confounding, his idiosyncratic wordplay in full effect with lyrics about "leopards of honor." Musically, each song comes close to a fully realized idea: The subdued, strummy opener "Blue Flower/ Blue Flame" builds into vibrant and catchy melodies ("Dark Leaves Form a Thread") and swaggering blues rock ("The State"), hitting an apex with the gorgeous, stirring progression of "My Favorite Year" and eight-minute theatrical display "Shooting Rockets (From the Dark of Night's Ape)." Bejar may consistently tinker with his sound, but the output has been reliably solid, and "Dreams" is no exception. —Jill Menze