Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors (2009)

The thing I get hung up on sometimes with any kind of outre music (psych, free improv, noise rock, whatever “experimental” means) is that there doesn’t seem to be much underlying structure or driving idea. I don’t doubt that the artists take it seriously; but if they have a plan, it isn’t apparent from listening.

That’s why I love so much of what gets called art rock or art pop. The underlying structure is recognizable, even if the artist builds a whole lot of odd harmonies and arrangements and quirks on top. As i’ve said about some of the more challenging 20th century classical music, you have to know how the rules work before you can convincingly break them.

If David Longstreth and his bandmates wanted to just be a poppy R&B band, they’d be pretty good at it. But what make Dirty Projectors remarkable is the sort of cubist approach to the music. Recognizable bits of melody and song come through, but there are so many odd angles and choices that it’s both disorienting and exhilarating.

There are vocals from two others in the band, Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian. But a good chunk of the record is Longstreth’s cut up approach to melody, like he’s singing through a pitch shifter except that i don’t think he is. His voice just modulates that quickly.

Instrumentally, you get a lot of wild shifts in tone and approach, but it’s all held together and driven forward by a solid vision and underlying structure.

Tracks I Liked

Cannibal Resource - a great introduction to what they do. crisp and clean, but always not quite what you’d expect

Temecula Sunrise - beautiful

Useful Chamber - changes its mind on what kind of song it is several times in 6 minutes, but always stays awesome