Bitte Orca

iTunes Review

Their seventh album, Bitte Orca is the most accessible, cohesive, and, yes, musical effort in the Dirty Projectors’ oeuvre to date. One big reason is the bold musical vision of DP brainchild Dave Longstreth, who sets out to carve a new “pop” niche, putting aside his affinity for conceptual interpretations and statements, a staple of past outings. Opening track “Cannibal Resource” has the feel of a mini-pop opera, with breezy (yet slightly warped) layers of background vocals, handclaps and summery guitars, Longstreth’s vocal tones and playful phrasing recalling that of Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook. That’s where pop purity stops. Bitte Orca is a collage of art rock guitar shards, spare beats, twittering keyboards and acoustic guitar, and woozy vocal harmonies between Amber Coffman (guitar) and Angel Deradoorian (also a solo artist, she plays various instruments). Coffman’s alluring, R&B groove on “Stillness Is the Move” is a huge surprise, and Deradoorian’s dusky tone on the classically tinged folk track, “Two Doves,” is sheer beauty. Bitte Orca is a clever blend of an inarguably skewed pop sensibility, jazzy playfulness, and contemporary electro-beats, and almost defies category.