I Like It Dirty

Though I was absent from the blog for a hot minute, there's nothing like the release of an unexpectedly incredible art-pop album to get me back to it. The Dirty Projectors, Dave Longstreth's rock collective from Brooklyn, on their new album, Bitte Orca, have released some of the best new music I've heard all summer. The distinct vocals of Longstreth and his female guest singers wind comfortably through harmonies, synth blips, vocal compressors, and the strum of guitars that sound like they might hail from a basement in Williamsburg or the top of Mt. Fuji. "Stillness Is The Move," kind of sounds like a white, indie rock take on an upbeat song that Aaliyah could have released. "No Intention" takes a cue from Swedish indie pop with a steady, slow beat reminiscent of The Knife, Cleast Eatwood, and (vaguely) the Tough Alliance, while successfully throwing in an impossibly catchy guitar lick behind a simple male vocal that accounts for an overarching sound most akin to that of The Shins. "Cannibal Resource" recalls early Of Montreal with its arrangement and singer's vocal timbre, with a guitar sound borrowed from George Harrison and his trusty Beatles. And that's just for starters. The album is a pleasure from start to finish, no weak spots, just great music. A truly worthwhile album for any music fan. Hey, Dirty Projectors, well played.