by Jason AnkenyThat a record with such a plug-ugly cover would house such beautifully melodic pop is just one of the many contradictions that propel Destroyer's Thief; anthemic yet understated, honeyed yet acerbic, it's first and foremost a collection of piano ballads that possesses absolutely none of the sentimentality and romanticism that the style almost uniformly engenders. Though Daniel Bejar's adenoidal vocals recall Robyn Hitchcock and his superbly arranged melodies evoke early Bowie, he's nevertheless a complete original: his arch lyrics -- equal parts social commentary and stand-up comedy -- are consistently superb, and his songs ebb and flow with cabaret-like flair. Reveling in a kind of corrupted gentility, Thief is by turns playful and malicious -- sophistication at its most scabrous.