Moby: Destroyed

The tenth studio album from the electronic architect constructs clean, sophisticated landscapes while displaying an illuminated sense of emotional desolation. Destroyed, recorded in hotel rooms while on tour and released in conjunction with an eponymous photo book, is a self-conscious work with each track seemingly constructed out of destructive behaviors (the cover image displays an “all unattended luggage will be destroyed” message at the La Guardia* airport). In “Rockets,” vocalist Inyang Bassey carries the listener to the edge of the world and back, buoyed by airy synths and sweeping violins. In “Lie Down in Darkness,” Joy Malcolm’s voice reaches the heights of enlightenment. The album settles for a couple of commercial uppers, such as the lethargic “The Day” and the vocoder-heavy “Be The One.” In the liner notes, Moby states the album is “a soundtrack for empty cities” created out of insomnia. Destroyed’s consciousness lies somewhere between the realm of a somnambulist and heroin chic, proving that commercialism, although indulgent, can be emotionally isolating.

*An editing error originally asserted the airport was the Berlin airport."