Dirty Projectors -Bitte Orca
8/10
FIRST PUBLISHED AT THE LINE OF BEST FIT
Dirty Projectors are a band so singularly unconventional that I wondered how they had managed to gain so much popular attention – although their recent David Byre collaboration (the excellent ‘Knotty Pine’, from Red Hot’s much admired ‘Dark Was the Night‘ compilation) certainly must have helped. Dave Longstreth, we are told, studied classical composition at Yale University, a fact that informs his renegade time-signatures and the tricksy, rug-pulling complexity of his recordings. Moreover, he sings like someone doing an impromptu impression of Anthony Hegarty, or even Jeff Buckley, with dubious accuracy, and on ‘Bitte Orca’ is as at home producing lilting chamber folk as contemporary R&B, two genres not normally caught dead in each other’s company. In fact, these unlikely bedfellows form the album’s stunning centrepiece tracks featuring the female vocalists (presumably) adorning the cover artwork: the summery soul of ‘Stillness is the Move’, sung by Amber Coffman, which sounds like Aaliyah; and the lilting, orchestral ‘Two Doves’, which could be Joanna Newsom, but is in fact Angel Deradoorian. That’s right, Aaliyah and Joanna Newsom.
It is worth going back to David Byrne to gain a slippery foothold in describing such a genuinely unusual band. There is something of Byrne and Brian Eno’s Afro-pop infusion here that might please fans of, say, Vampire Weekend or Yeasayer. There is a hint of Toumani Diabaté’s Malian string pickery on ‘Temecula Sunrise’ and ‘No Intention’, and a distinctly African bent to the chanted melodies of ‘Remade Horizon’. Longstreth, however, exceeds even Byrne in his unadashedly intellectual, and often impenetrable, lyrical concerns. The album title and some of the track names (‘Florescent Half Dome’ sounds like it was taken at random from an art catalogue, ‘Cannibal Resource’ sounds like the title of some unreadable essay by Foucault or Derrida) tell you all you need to know: Longstreth is probably cleverer than you, and he doesn’t care if you don’t understand what he’s talking about.
No matter, as if to prove Longstreth’s higher understanding of musical structure (or, just as likely, his knack for a good melody), Bitte Orca’s songs have a way of worming their way into your head. I woke up with the great ‘No Intention’ jangling around my head the other day. The day before that it was Elton John. While occasionally, as on the opener, things initially seem a bit too busy sonically, each listen reveals a new layer of brain-teasing intricacy. While sometimes the avant-garde posturing can make for a chilly listen, emotionally at least, and the fragmented song structures can jar, there is no mistaking the radiating pop sensibility running throughout, which makes Bitte Orca a more accessible record than their past efforts, but a no less inventive one. Compelling. confounding stuff.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Robert // May 15, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Oooh great review
I sort of had a feeling that this would be Dirty Projector’s opus. I fell in love with the band when they released their Black Flag covers album.
As for Bitte Orca I pre-ordered the cassette tape version from domino – I dunno why but i REALLY looking forward to hear it on tape format!
2 James Dalrymple // May 16, 2009 at 9:13 am
Domino do cassettes? Cool!
It’s a grower this. I’ve not given their previous albums their due attention, but this was worth it.
3 Robert // May 16, 2009 at 6:05 pm
It’s a one off thing but I grew up on tapes and I still think it’s the best way (along with vinyl) to know and album intimately.
This may sound silly but the fact that tapes and records have a side 1, side 2 element makes it easier for me to soak in an album properly.
4 James Dalrymple // May 16, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I hear you. I’m from the cassette-era too. I still make mix tapes on C-90. Some habits die hard (or don’t die at all). I guess albums used to be devised with sides in mind, these days probably rarely.
I still remember with fondness my first cassette album purchases, at Our Price (remember them?): Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’, Beastie Boys’ ‘License to Ill’, Europe’s ‘The Final Countdown’ and Metallica’s ‘Justice For All’. Not bad, eh? Only one real turkey in there I guess !
5 Robert // May 17, 2009 at 8:04 am
It took me AGES to get used to compiling mix cds for my friends but I think the good old C-90 has more charm. The slight bumpft noise you hear between tracks is all part of the experience.
As I live in Malta, we do not have record chains (well we had a Virgin Megastore but it only lasted from 1997 – 2001) My first cassettes were blur’s Parklife, Now 29 and Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. Now our record stores are complete rubbish and only stock chart stuff (Rhianna, Armin Van Burin, Metro Station etc etc). I haven’t bought a cd from a local store in five years.
6 James Dalrymple // May 17, 2009 at 8:28 am
Hi Robert,
I grew up in the UK but now I live in France, where CDs are outrageously expensive. Generally I buy all my music from Amazon UK, except for the free stuff I get sent for review. I’m a good boy though, I don’t pirate.
7 Robert // May 17, 2009 at 11:37 am
Same here – I hate downloading anyways. If you want cheap cds I suggest play.com the maximum you’ll pay for a cd is 11 Euros and the minimum is three. In Malta most cds are between 17 – 19 euros , which is WAY too much.
*sigh* I was a music journalist and I used to love the freebies I would get. The Domino/Rough Trade packs were always my highlight.
umm do you have a gmail address? – send an e-mail to me and we could use gmail chat.
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