Dept. of Disappearance

Writing and composition

Regarding the album's lyrical and thematic content, Jason Lytle noted, "I think if anything, some of the elements that used to drive a lot of my favourite Grandaddy songs home, was this whole storytelling aspect. Creating these little worlds and creating sounds and creating lines [where] you almost have to create your own little image to go with what you’re hearing. [...] I had this recurring image throughout the album, and I don’t know where this came from. It’s this recurring image, of some sort of tragedy. It’s a woman, stranded, up high, in a blizzard, among the rocks and a guy who is down in the valley who can’t do anything about it and its this distress of him knowing he can’t do anything about it. I think there are two or three songs, where that imagery pops up."

Reception

AllMusic's Tim Sendra gave the album a positive review, stating "Dept. of Disappearance shows that far from vanishing, Lytle is making a claim to be one of the more interesting and consistent singer-songwriters around; willing to take sonic chances, but always delivering music that’s as much about feel as it is about meaning."

Stephen Deusner of Pitchfork gave the album a mixed review, noting "[The track 'Your Final Setting Sun'] says more about Lytle's career than any veiled lyric could: If he can't push himself in new directions, he'll be stuck at his desk job, pushing paper for the Department of Disappearance forever."

Track listing

All tracks written by Jason Lytle.

Personnel