The prolific
experimental pop collective
the Dirty Projectors return with
Slaves' Graves & Ballads, their third album in a year. Originally, the album was released as two EPs early in 2004, but despite the high-concept nature of each of the EPs, all of the songs fit together well, making the album cohesive as well as diverse. The first half of
Slaves' Graves & Ballads features
Dave Longstreth backed by a ten-piece
chamber group he founded called
the Orchestral Society for the Preservation of the Orchestra. While this could seem pretentious coming from many other artists, the sense of drama the
chamber group brings to
Longstreth's distinctive crooning and cryptic lyrics ("the way a logo is different from an icon") actually makes it more immediate than some of
the Dirty Projectors' other music. The combination of the sweeping strings, woodwinds, and brass with
Longstreth's small, keening voice throws each element into even sharper contrast. The mix of majesty and intimacy in songs like the oddly alert, anticipatory
"On the Beach" and
"Slaves' Graves" may be theatrical, but it's distinctly emotional too;
"(Throw On) The Hazard Lights" and
"Hazard Lights (Reprise)" recall the primitive grandeur of
The Glow, Pt. 2-era
Microphones, with even more fraying around the edges. As with all
Dirty Projectors music, things feel like they're on the edge of collapse. Acoustic guitars waver between delicate plucking and
atonal strumming, woodwinds recorded far into the red take on feedback-like qualities, percussion punctuates the songs at unexpected moments, and
Longstreth's often-garbled warbling can tend to grate. Still, the
orchestral arrangements on
Slaves' Graves feel like a natural resting place for
the Dirty Projectors' lyrical and musical voice. The second half of
Slaves' Graves & Ballads takes a very different tack, stripping the arrangements down to mostly just
Longstreth's voice and guitar, with the odd bit of playful multi-tracking here and there (which works especially well on the lovely
pop of
"Because Your Light Is Turning Green"). This approach isn't as immediately striking as
Longstreth's earlier
orchestral experiments, but it does highlight the strangely soulful, timeless feel of his melodies, especially on
"A Labor More Restful," "Ladies, You Have Exiled Me," and
"Obscure Wisdom" -- a song title that sums up
Longstreth's aesthetic well.
The Dirty Projectors are still something of an acquired taste, but
Slaves' Graves & Ballads is proof enough that
Longstreth's twists and turns are worth following. ~ Heather Phares
