This album is mindblowingly good. I’m only about halfway through my second listen right now, but it seems like all the amazing material we’ve been getting from Dirty Projectors over the years has come to a beautiful, glorious head. I’m too excited to write with any kind of real critical eye, but some of the songs on Bitte Orca are absolutely astounding in what they accomplish. The sound and overall vision of the band is overwhelming. How did a group of people come up with such a cohesive sound that is so unlike anything else I’ve ever heard- from the vocal stylings to the guitar sounds? The rhythms on the album are also incredibly playful, and add another brilliant level of interest to the band’s music.
The album may be a bit inaccessible at first to some listeners, but I think if anyone gives it a chance they’ll find something they like in the songs. At some points, the vocals almost sound like doo-wop Lauryn Hill. Once you get over the initial shock of how cool everything sounds (even for seasoned Dirty Projectors fans, the album is a lead forward for the group; they take everything that made them special in the first place to another level), it’s actually a very pleasant, bright listen.
This album is only out on cassette, but luckily for us, NPR is streaming it in its entirety right now. I would have loved to write a proper review of this album, but I wanted to get this up while it’s still streaming for free. So listen HERE while you still can. You can also have the track below to download for keeps (though it isn’t my favorite from the album).
