Two of the most consistently interesting musicians working today come together for charity. Unfortunately, there is just no way this project could live up to its potential.
Bjork & Dirty Projectors - Mount Wittenberg Orca (2011) – 4.8 / 10.0
Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Running Time: 21:14
Label: Domino
Genre: Post-Rock, Psychedelic Chamber Pop
Drug of Choice: Hallucinogens
Key Tracks:
"No Embrace"
"All We Are"
A cooperative album between Björk and Dirty Projectors is the kind of thing I dream about. Birthed from a Dirty Projectors contribution to a Björk tribute album, the two came together to do a full EP with Mount Wittenberg Orca. On paper, this makes all kinds of sense. Both Björk and Projector's lead man David Longstreth have clear visions that purposely transverse the boundaries of traditional music. Both specialize in crafting beautiful harmonies. Where they differ is more a matter of paradigm. Where Björk creates whole pieces in subtle movements, Longstreth has become the master of deconstruction, preferring instead to thrive in raw chaos. If you can't tell, I'm a fan of both. Unfortunately, Mount Wittenberg Orca is more letdown than revelation.
The focus on this album is vocal performance. That creates a problem for me because whether it be the ambient sounds of a Björk record or the crashing layers of noise on a Dirty Projectors record, the instrumentation is a lovely necessity. Without those arrangements, what we are left with on Mount Wittenberg Orca is a starring role for the Projector's backup singers, with Björk and Longstreth doing equal time on lead vocals. By and large, their performances feel more like guest appearances than the involved starring roles we are used to hearing.
The style of the record is much more akin to that of a Projectors record, with the sounds finding their home in competition. Typically, I would love nothing more than a Projectors record with a guest like Björk, but in this case the time taken to record and produce was way too short, leaving the recordings too raw and coarse. The backing vocals desperately need finishing touches applied and fail to satisfy like most of Longstreth's catalog. The final two tracks of the EP, "No Embrace" and "All We Are", are worth a listen just to experience these two great artists working together. Unfortunately, as a stand alone work there isn't much to remember on Mount Wittenberg Orca. Your time would be better spent playing with Björk's other recent project.
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Reviewer Stats:
Reviews - 35
Average Rating - 6.8
Highest Rating - 9.5 Blitzen Trapper's American Goldwing
Lowest Rating - 3.5 Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire
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