2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Andy : 1 :: Dave : 5
Throughout this countdown, Dave and I tried to break the writing up equally – generally along the lines of who ranked the specific album higher on his list. Today is my Number One album of 2009, so I’ll treat it as such. Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca was so entirely ahead of every other album released in 2009 to me that I’ve had it in as my Number One since its release in June.
Not having listened to Dirty Projectors in any significant capacity prior to this release, I have the unique position of being able to judge an album without tethering it to anything that the band has released previously. Even in other reviews, Bitte Orca seems to be referred to as the fulfillment of the promise that has always been Dirty Projectors. Everything has come together seamlessly. The band’s avant-garde rock is an absolute revelation here.
At its most grandiose moments, the album still feels as though it’s going to expand further. Not unlike a recipe you know by heart, the band adds ingredients liberally, switches things out in order to test others, and the results are just as impressive to ingest. The album expands, swells, fades and contracts. It defies categorization and convention from the outset – the stunning “Cannibal Resource” – and from there it refuses to relent.
When I really started listening to the lyrics, I thought “Two Doves” was a paraphrase of Song of Solomon. (Two Bible references in two days?) It’s not, but despite that, Bitte Orca is, in the end, a glimpse of something almost divine in a world where attaining mere secular status is becoming more and more difficult to come by. It is remarkable.
Dirty Projectors – Temecula Sunrise (mp3)
Dirty Projectors – No Intention (mp3)
(Both songs from Bitte Orca
This has made quick rounds in the blogosphere since showing up on Wednesday, but I thought I’d share it here too because it’s pretty good.
You may need some antacid tablets to digest today’s Smörgåsbord. First up is an almost tribal Dirty Projectors remix, followed by a greasy helping of blue-eyed soul out of Detroit. Soak up the remains with a supremely rich My Morning Jacket cover. Your stomach may like it too much, so keep those tablets handy.
I believe I can safely say that this week is the worst one of 2009 so far when it comes to interesting new music. Michael Buble, who I do like, is releasing a live album, which isn’t something I’d purchase. If it was 10 years ago, the Incubus album would be interesting, but since it’s 2009, the only thing on this list that is “purchase-able” is White Denim, and this week is only the import.
We posted a quick note about this on our Twitter feed, but thought we should pose it here:
