Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors have been a part of my life since I heard their first album, The Glad Fact. At the time, I knew nothing about Dave Longstreth or the album he’d recorded under his own name as a college freshman, The Graceful Fallen Mango – an album I’ve always wanted to call “a fine slice of New England soul music” (whether or not that’s really accurate). The Glad Fact inspired me to write my first and only record review, in which, with all the awkwardness befitting an inexperienced and overzealous writer, I proclaimed, “Dave Longstreth is making his own fucked-up version of American music.” It’s funny to think that I would go on to play in the DPz touring line up and have my keyboard playing make it on to the New Attitude EP – let alone become budz with the dude! When I first met Dave he mentioned that he’d read the review and asked what I meant by “fucked-up American music.” I found it hard to articulate any sensible reason why I’d used that description, but some deep, non-verbal part of me felt like bro, it’s really true. Now, four game-shifting, next-level DPz releases later, I’m hearing the newest album, Bitte Orca, for the first tim... more...