David Longstreth has a history of making experimental music – loved by few and unheard by many. He’s been at the helm of Dirty Projectors since 2002 and has finally broken through with the band’s definitive album. All too often you’ll hear people say that a band is good but ‘too experimental.’ This is usually followed by the suggestion that they make their sound ‘more accessible’ i.e. more commercial. There is very little that is commercial about Bitte Orca, however it is safe to say that it is certainly some of the most accessible material that the band has ever released.

Unlike the great majority of their past work, there is an overall quality of sweeping beauty to this album. Longstreth has become known for his gloomily intricate guitar compositions. On Orca, the songwriting is as daring and experimental as one would expect. It’s different somehow. Longstreth’s lilting vocals soar over the time-signature twisting guitar riffs and slowly building drum patterns. His distinct voice comes off with astounding power, as opposed to the usual whining melancholy we’ve come to expect from him. But he’s not in this alone. Angel Deradoorian and Amber Coffman come in to assist with their own perfectly complimenting harmonies from the opening track. Angel even takes the lead on the album’s first single, the terribly infectious ‘Stillness is the Move.’

Bitte Orca is arguably Dirty Projectors greatest victory. That doesn’t mean that it is without its flaws. As accessible as it is, it may be an acquired taste for some. Dissonant drums and slowly building arrangements are a hard pill to swallow for the less patient listener. If I’m correct, this is one of those albums that grows on you. And when it finally does, you’ll be wondering how the hell you ever lived without it in the first place.

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