Dirty Projectors
The Scala, London
14/09/2009 

Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors are perhaps the only band in the world right now that could attract the praise and patronage of both hip-hop motor-mouth Kanye West and angular Indie godfather David Byrne.

With one of the most celebrated Indie LPs of the year in ‘Bitte Orca’ and playing an exclusive UK headline show, expectations in London are running wild.  

Fear not though; from the opening minimal take on ‘Two Doves’ through to the sublime new untitled track in the encore, they demonstrate how they are very close to knocking The Flaming Lips off their psychedelic perch with a perfectly formed arsenal of evocative and complex pop tunes.

Coming on like a mainstream pop version of Deerhoof, they match extremely fun hip-hop beats to some crazy high guitars, not forgetting those unique and pitch perfect four part male/female harmonies, the satellites continually circling around frontman Dave Longstreth’s spectacular voice. 

The Black Flag tracks thrown in from their ‘Damaged’ covers album actually sound like the exact opposite of the po-faced hardcore legends: dreamy, ambient and lacking in cynicism. However, it is through their original compositions that the band frequently astounds.  

Commanded by Longstreth, but truly animated by singers Amber Coffman, Haley Dekle and Angel Deradoorian, ‘Stillness Is The Move’ blows The Fly away and it feels for a moment like we’re collectively being elevated slowly and blissfully above the earth by giant eagles and shown all of the possibilities inherent in the landscape below. Transcendent and utterly unique music.

This live show has an inspiring vibrancy that ‘Bitte Orca’ occasionally lacks and one that frankly leaves peers such as Grizzly Bear and The Low Anthem at the starting gates. Dirty Projectors will take your expectations, however high and fly you to the moon.
      
Paul M Reed