Critiques CD: Dirty Projectors | Swing Lo Magellan

Brooklynite Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors has put out a decade’s worth of eccentric vocalizations and instrumental experimentation – some albums intriguing if not endearing, others obstructively erratic and exceedingly difficult to navigate one’s mind through. But Swing Lo Magellan is by far the strongest and most identifiable effort to date put forth by Longstreth and co., at last pushing past a tendency for stylistic obscurity toward a middle-ground of ingenuity and relatability with a reworked sound that wider audiences can no longer afford to balk at. One of the most successful stylistic shifts on this incarnation is the incorporation of hip-hop-inspired beats to anchor their vocal acrobatics, especially effective when paired with dreamy violins like on sweetheart track “See What She Seeing”, or with the Velvet Underground-reminiscent acoustic guitaring on the title track. The best part may be that, contrary to the vibe of some of the previous albums’ indecipherable approach, they clearly do not take themselves too seriously – among the idiosyncratic harmonies, you can hear singers Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian teasing Longstreth for his more obtuse lyrics on “Unto Caesar”. Swing Lo is a complete package: engaging and innovative, without sounding unwilling to let the listener in.