What springs to mind immediately when discussing Bitte Orca, the newest release from Brooklyn indie rock group the Dirty Projectors? Goddamn hipsters! Arg! Critically adored, cult like adoration, and have you seen those haircuts? I bet they recorded Bitte Orca on a Mac! I bet group founder/ songwriter Dave Longstreth edited it on his Mac while sitting in a Starbucks. I bet singers Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian went into the studio (which is probably Longstreth’s house outfitted to record on his Mac) after coming back from shopping for over priced t-shirts at American Eagle. Even scenester taste setters Pitchfork.com and Tinymixtapes gave the thing rave reviews, the ultimate recognition of hipster-aimed music! Gah, I really want to hate this album…so why do I love it so much?
Ever since I first heard “Stillness is the Move” I haven’t been able to get its chiming synth lines and slinking rhythm out of my head. It perfectly melds Remain in Light era Talking Heads and Dirty Mind era Prince into a futurist stomp, it’s robotic chilliness imbuing the love spoken of in the song with more than a tinge of irony. No doubt about it, this catchy thing is one of the best tracks of the year. The remainder of the album fares incredibly well too. The deconstructionist elements of the compositions no longer seem tacky or like showing off as they had on previous Dirty Projectors releases, but somehow integral to the works (such as the repetitious guitar line in “Remade Horizon” and the fractured chords of “Two Doves”). Though I still find Longstreth’s vocals somewhat annoying and pompous, he has made vast improvements in his vocal delivery since 2007’s Black Flag tribute Rise Above, and incidentally made has allowed for some emotional residence and vulnerability this time around. Perhaps the greatest addition to the Dirty Projectors’ sound is the subtle evocations of African music in the poly-rhythmic arrangements of both percussion and string instruments and the off-kilter vocal harmonies. This is sure to delight fans of the aforementioned Talking Heads as well as those who enjoy Vampire Weekend, Graceland, or Peter Gabriel’s early solo material. I would not quite nail this as a perfect release, but hopefully my hate-love relationship with the group will pass and I’ll end up enjoying Bitte Orca more than I already do…even if it was recorded by a bunch a Mac using hipsters.
Ever since I first heard “Stillness is the Move” I haven’t been able to get its chiming synth lines and slinking rhythm out of my head. It perfectly melds Remain in Light era Talking Heads and Dirty Mind era Prince into a futurist stomp, it’s robotic chilliness imbuing the love spoken of in the song with more than a tinge of irony. No doubt about it, this catchy thing is one of the best tracks of the year. The remainder of the album fares incredibly well too. The deconstructionist elements of the compositions no longer seem tacky or like showing off as they had on previous Dirty Projectors releases, but somehow integral to the works (such as the repetitious guitar line in “Remade Horizon” and the fractured chords of “Two Doves”). Though I still find Longstreth’s vocals somewhat annoying and pompous, he has made vast improvements in his vocal delivery since 2007’s Black Flag tribute Rise Above, and incidentally made has allowed for some emotional residence and vulnerability this time around. Perhaps the greatest addition to the Dirty Projectors’ sound is the subtle evocations of African music in the poly-rhythmic arrangements of both percussion and string instruments and the off-kilter vocal harmonies. This is sure to delight fans of the aforementioned Talking Heads as well as those who enjoy Vampire Weekend, Graceland, or Peter Gabriel’s early solo material. I would not quite nail this as a perfect release, but hopefully my hate-love relationship with the group will pass and I’ll end up enjoying Bitte Orca more than I already do…even if it was recorded by a bunch a Mac using hipsters.
Listen To: Stillness is the Move, Remade Horizon, Useful Chamber
RIYL: Talking Heads, Bjork, Prince
RIYL: Talking Heads, Bjork, Prince
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