Search - Dirty Projectors :: Bitte Orca

Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
Bitte Orca
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (9) - Disc #1

The follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed and Domino debut "Rise Above". Their fifth release is a big rock album by design. Its idiosyncratic and sincere take on popular music is reminiscent of David Byrne with whom Dir...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Dirty Projectors
Title: Bitte Orca
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Domino
Original Release Date: 1/1/2009
Re-Release Date: 6/9/2009
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Styles: Indie & Lo-Fi, Progressive, Progressive Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 801390021725, 5034202022916, 5034202022947

Synopsis

Product Description
The follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed and Domino debut "Rise Above". Their fifth release is a big rock album by design. Its idiosyncratic and sincere take on popular music is reminiscent of David Byrne with whom Dirty Projectors collaborated on "Knotty Pine" for the 2009 compilation "Dark Was The Night". In many ways, group leader David Longstreth could be seen as this generation's answer to Byrne, a distinctive torchbearer of labyrinthine song arrangements that go down easy.

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CD Reviews

Unlistenable
Christine | NH | 11/16/2009
(1 out of 5 stars)

"After seeing this album get nearly universal acclaim from the critics, I figured it was worth listening to to see what the fuss was about. So I gave it a full listen, expecting to find it at least somewhat enjoyable. Unfortunately, I found it totally unappealing and actually very annoying. It is definitely true that the songs on the album are inventive and experimental, and if you're mostly just looking for something different, you might like this. But for me, the aesthetic doesn't work at all.



David Longstreth takes a kitchen sink approach to production, throwing in what sounds like every possible thing he can think of. He seems to be trying very hard to make the songs interesting to listen to, incorporating multiple vocalists who sing in different styles all at once, unusual rhythmic variations against a standard melodic line, and all sorts of other things floating around all over the place. While, in theory, that could sound pretty cool, what this results in here is sort of the sonic equivalent of taking tofu fried in soybean oil, covering that with marinara sauce, slicing in some kiwi, drizzling some truffle oil over all that, and then adding a few dashes of fish sauce and a cup of cold chocolate milk.



Even "Stillness is the Move," the song on the album that most resembles a single, suffers from an overall sense of clutter and sloppiness. While the female singers give a strong performance, there is just too much going on, and the mix of all that is too raw and unfocused for the song to ever truly gel.



My musical tastes in general tend to veer towards the alternative and odd, but this album just doesn't work for me at all. Clearly some people do seem to love it, so if you too are intrigued by the amazing reviews this often gets, try to preview some full songs before buying the whole thing."
The most accessible Dirty Projectors album to date.
Samuel Dennis Goodwin Jr. | Birmingham, AL | 06/09/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've been turned off by the Dirty Projectors in the past because they were either too intricate, too nonsensical, or too pretentious, then I think you will love this album. Every song is unique and well arranged and, although much more straightforward than past albums, still keeps some of the jazzy mathiness that old fans will love. The vocals have reached a new high with impressive three-part female harmonies complementing Dave Longstreth's angular, rhythmic singing. Highly recommended; I just keep coming back for more, even after weeks of listens, and that doesn't happen often for me."
Hip African riffs minus the untidy emotion
Joel D. Kreager | Seattle, WA USA | 11/24/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well, these people do know how to create an excellently sticky hook. Bits from the album stick in my mind for days after I have listened to it. The guitarist is quite technically accomplished. He has lifted various riffs with great exactness from various types of African music, but he plays them rather like one of the dudes you find down at Guitar Center - all the speed and flash with none of the feeling. They revel in the "Alterna-crap" silliness, by this I mean they risk no emotion themselves, but merely make an endless ironic commentary on those brave enough to admit to suffering from this unfortunate disease. Protestations of love would not be believed by anyone with a heart, for example "Flourescent Halfdome." This may be their appeal. The male vocalist utterly murders something halfway to a ballad on that song, which may be his intent, it would suit the alterna aversion to risking any sort of emotion or attachment."