I find myself wanting to listen to this album all the time. I love it from top to bottom and yes, the last track isn't a knockout, but its still great and it has a kind of "Purple Rain" finale feeling to it.

And since we're comparing it to Grizzly Bear, I almost have to force myself to listen to Veckatimest. Its like doing homework, particularly the middle tracks. I know with repeated listens there's more to it, and it takes a lot of attentive listening. As background music while on the internet, it sucks. With headphones and full attention I'm hoping the middle grows on me.

quote:

Boring band.

Thoughtful post.

wow, i can't believe the amount of praise this album is getting. i'm three listens deep and i can't stand it.

i read it described as their "pop album", just as MPP was to AC. but somebody tell me: where are the hooks? where are the melodies? where is the accessibility? the harmonies -- especially in regards to the sublime Veckatimest to which you guys are comparing it -- are aggravating. the rhythms are stiff. for me, there just isn't a lot of grace here.

however, "Two Doves" is a gem. strong melody and a fine string arrangement.

conclusion: i don't get it. i'll report back after the weekend with any revelations. but boy, i'm flabbergasted at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by Fitz:
wow, i can't believe the amount of praise this album is getting. i'm three listens deep and i can't stand it.

i read it described as their "pop album", just as MPP was to AC. but somebody tell me: where are the hooks? where are the melodies? where is the accessibility? the harmonies -- especially in regards to the sublime Veckatimest to which you guys are comparing it -- are aggravating. the rhythms are stiff. for me, there just isn't a lot of grace here.

however, "Two Doves" is a gem. strong melody and a fine string arrangement.

conclusion: i don't get it. i'll report back after the weekend with any revelations. but boy, i'm flabbergasted at the moment.

Back in the best of 2009 thread I wrote a similar post right after it first leaked and I had only a listen or two under my belt. Stereogum was praising it like crazy and certainly a handful of posters around here were loving it. I felt it was stiff and lacking hooks as well. Stick with it, though. I really, really love it now.

Bitte Orca, aye carumba, what an annoying pile of pretentious indie crapola. jmho.

quote:

Originally posted by chaos:
Bitte Orca, aye carumba, what an annoying pile of pretentious indie crapola. jmho.

dear god. my opinion aligns with chaos'.

must. continue. listening.

Pretentious doesn't begin to scratch the surface.

I like the review I found at dansbait.com.

The Dirty Projectors have a unique sound, but I don't find it pretentious at all. My reaction to Rise Above was that it was an album that was easier to admire than to like. With Bitte Orca, they have made an album that continues their unique sound but makes it more accessible.

All I know is that after I listen to it, I want to listen to it again. Which is something that MPP never did for me.

P.S. I find that review at dansbait to be pretentious. It's entirely uninformative. It's snarky just to be snarky.

The review posted before is crap. It didn't even critique any of the album.

Anyways, when it comes down to it, I think MPP, Veckatimest and Bitte Orca are better than each other in their own ways. I'm biased towards Bitte Orca since I have listened to it a hundred times (literally). But I love the flow of MPP, the consistency of Bitte Orca and the epic songs at the end and beginning of Veckatimest.

They all have their issues though. MPP sacrifices variety and consistency to release an album that wants you to listen to it from start to finish. Bitte Orca's knockout songs (almost all nine tracks) don't have the accessibility of "Two Weeks" or "My Girls." And Veckatimest....well in my opinion is awfully flawed. The middle section is a chore to put it nicely. There are a few highlights, but the album should have been cut at least 3 tracks.

I think we're going to see Bitte Orca climb a lot of lists this year. I hope it does, but people really hate the last two tracks. I love them but to each his own.

I didn't realize only three albums have been released this year.

Bitte Orca is quite good, but I really don't hear anything makes it better than Rise Above, other than maybe the pitchfork score. Really though people who enjoy the new album should definitely give Rise Above a shot, which I'd say is far more memorable, but to each his own.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grabblegarrr,

I've listened to the stream of Bitte Orca on Spinner this week, and it's definitely grown on me. "Stillness is the Move" is so addicting it's hard for me to listen to anything else right now. I must have listened to it half a dozen times at work today. I'm sure when I get the album (which is on order) more tracks will stand out, although I'm already falling in love with "Two Doves."

I like this trend of more accessible pop songs from bands like Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors. It helps someone like me get into them. Once I'm into a band, I can start to enjoy even their more challenging songs. More like "My Girls" and "Stillness is the Move" can't hurt - think of them as gateway songs.

quote:

Originally posted by grabblegarrr:
I didn't realize only three albums have been released this year.

Bitte Orca is quite good, but I really don't hear anything makes it better than Rise Above, other than maybe the pitchfork score. Really though people who enjoy the new album should definitely give Rise Above a shot, which I'd say is far more memorable, but to each his own.

Yeah, I second this whole post, especially the first line.

quote:

I didn't realize only three albums have been released this year.

Gimme a break - these are the three albums that people have talked most about this year and that have received overwhelmingly good reviews (look at the MC scores). Of course when a new great album comes around we are going to compare albums that we all really enjoy to each other (a challenger appears!).

If you'd like, we could compare Bitte Orca to some other albums released this year.

I'll start.

I think Two Suns by Bat For Lashes is superior, based solely on the fact that I think the sonic imagination and lyrical power of Two Suns are more consistently engaging and interesting than Bitte Orca. While I like the dual interplay between male/female vocals quite a bit on Bitte Orca, I think that Natasha Khan's vocal timbre is far prettier than those by the girls from the Dirty Projectors. However, the songs on Bitte Orca have found themselves to be real growers for me, peeling back to reveal layers of sonic detail that you didn't realize was there on first listen. Also, I admire the more complex song structures on Bitte Orca; most of the stuff on Two Suns follows a pretty simple verse-chorus-verse song structure, with the occasional bridges thrown in for build up.

Overall, two of my absolute favorite albums of the year, but at this point, I still admire Bitte Orca more than I actually enjoy it, and I keep coming back to Two Suns because of how much I enjoy it.

No need to compare albums that are similar only in the sense that they have received massive amounts of hype from the "indie" community. Dirty Projectors>Fever Ray>Animal Collective>St. Vincent> Grizzly Bear>Wavves> Bat for Lashes!

Eh. I don't really even give a shit, so that's enough from me.

quote:

No need to compare albums that are similar only in the sense that they have received massive amounts of hype from the "indie" community. Dirty Projectors>Fever Ray>Animal Collective>St. Vincent> Grizzly Bear>Wavves> Bat for Lashes!

I'd be happy to tell you why I think 21st Century Breakdown is as good as Bitte Orca.

And why no song on Bitte Orca is as good as "I Do Not Hook Up."

I mean, I can compare outside the indie community, so don't accuse me of having such limited taste.

Maybe it was just an (warranted) offhanded comment? Maybe?

I posted this in the 2009 thread, but thought I might get more feedback here:

Say what you will about Pitchfork, but their glowing review is what finally made me give this a listen.

I cant say enough about how much I am enjoying this album. Its the kind of album that makes me excited to come back to it when I am at work or somewhere I can't listen. Useful Chamber compositionally has me thinking of Kid A era Radiohead of all things. Temecula Sunrise is such an alloy of styles that I feel like I am peering into the future listening to it.

The only thing I can say negative is that Stillness is the Move which seems to get a lot of attention is actually relatively speaking not as interesting as the other songs on the album. Thats not much of a negative though, its still good by usual standards.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
The best songs come in the middle with the two females delivering exceptional vocals. But the best one is "Two Doves" and Angel Deradoorian's beautiful voice.

That is an interesting take FKA. I like the two songs but find myself skipping them often to get on with the energy the rest of the album brings. Sounds like you are enjoying some of the individual performances that standout, where I am enjoying the overwhelming compositions and intricate weaving of sounds going on in the other tracks.

Not that one is better than the other, but interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by hophead:
And since we're comparing it to Grizzly Bear, I almost have to force myself to listen to Veckatimest. Its like doing homework, particularly the middle tracks.

I known right. Trust me though all that "homework " will pay off. Dory and Ready Able at some point when you aren't looking will punch you in the gut. I love music that you have to live with to understand.

Every time I hear that Temecula Sunrise song I want to smash something. Words can't describe how much I hate that song. I've listened to it several times and still can't find one redeeming moment. The Mariah Carey esque song is ok though.