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The brainchild of Yale graduate Dave Longstreth, Dirty Projectors is a band best characterised by its host of insanely clever arrangements, bright guitars, and prominent (potentially divisive) vocals by Longstreth and sparring partners Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian. Their most melodic album yet, Bitte Orca contains nine intricate and striking pieces in their own right, which make it as thrilling to listen to as it is difficult to review.
The standout track, centrepiece ‘Useful Chamber’, begins with sliding synths and vocals, before a percussive breakdown suddenly explodes into a full instrumental chorus, complete with Longstreth’s chants of “bitte orca, orca bitte!” And that’s only the first half of it; amid the elaborate guitar motifs and vocal acrobatics there’s just too much going on for words. Other highlights include the brilliantly catchy single ‘Stillness is the Move’, and ‘Remade Horizon’, which builds to an athletic vocal counterpoint between Coffman and Deradoorian.
It’s almost unsurprising to discover that the Projectors’ brand of eccentric virtuosity comes from a band whose complex arrangements have never even been written down. That such an ambitious musical plan has been realised so effectively in such a way both marks Longstreth out as a unique talent, and Bitte Orca as a truly memorable album.
Dirty Projectors: MySpace | on Spotify
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