Mount Wittenberg Orca

Somehow this EP slipped past me when it was released, but a chance encounter with "On and Ever Onward" prompted me to give it a try. The remainder of the 21 minutes did not disappoint. I'm not a big enough fan of Björk or the Dirty Projectors to accurately compare this to their other work, but for me it echoes both Steve Reich and Meredith Monk--if the two had decided to collaborate and make something accessible ("pop" would be an overstatement). "Beautiful Mother" even strikes me as slightly Zappaesque. Though there are lyrics, and the occasional bit of guitar, the vocals and the rhythms are the main focus. I'm not sure they will change your life, but they ought to brighten your day.

If you fancy either The Dirty Projectors or Bjork, I suggest giving this a listen, because it is absolutely fantastic. It can be seen as a progression of sorts of the 'Bitte Orca' sound, however Bjork's vocals just drive it home and evoke one hell of a double-take from the likes of yours truly. The girls from the Dirty Projectors certainly hold their own here, intertwining their harmonies with such accuracy to perhaps be mistaken for something besides vocals entirely. I'm so in love with the way they really treat their voices like instruments, and its not just the girls; David Longstreth (although I may disagree with certain off-handed statements he's made about Frank Zappa)has a truly distinctive voice of his own. I frequently attempt to mimic his half-abrasive-half-sublime tones as I listen, and, of course, fall completely short. Longstreth's finger-work on guitar is something to be admired as well. Try 'Temecula Sunrise' off DP's Bitte Orca album to see this properly showcased. Mount Wittenberg Orca is focused mainly on the vocals, therefore the guitar is downplayed somewhat. I personally have no problem with this, but some people may miss the guitar/vocal interplay on Bitte Orca, to which I would be forced to reply with, "Fool, Bitte Orca doesn't have Bjork on it. Get a real opinion."I mean, really, guys, there are so many gems on this EP. 'On and Ever Onward', 'When the World Comes to an End', and 'No Embrace' are my personal faves, but, honestly, every track is worth its weight in discarded copies of LMFAO's Sorry for Party Rocking.The songs, all written by Longstreth about an auspicious whalewatching even involving Amber Coffman (of DP), were first performed at a charity concert, then released a year later, after extensive touring for Bitte Orca. All financial returns on the album, says Longstreth, are to be given away in partnership with the National Geographic Society to projects that attempt to create 'international marine protected areas'. So go here [...] if you want to both participate in environmentalism and purchase an MP3 copy of the album. Total win/win, right? Sorry amazon, hope this doesn't interfere with anyone's profits. Or DO I??

This is an underrated piece of work from these very talented artists. Sounding like a more immediate version of Bjork's Medulla with some lovely vocal work from the members of Dirty Projectors, the blend of voices here is quite sublime. The instrumentation here is minimal, allowing the vocals to be showcased at the fore. Casual listeners will be surprised at how enjoyable this recording is!

Despite having only great artists this album fails to create a synergy between all the members. Though Dirty Projectors often make a lot of use of syncopated vocals and rhythms, this album sacrifices pleasurable melodies in favor of extreme quirkiness. These are some beautiful and intriguing voices, but the album lacks depth for not developing the songs and letting them flourish into something more meaningful. Like Alice made a weird left turn while in Wonderland and ran into a group of eccentric singing elves.

Very strange and atmospheric the first time you listen and then you find out that it is all about a whale mother and three young calf whales swimming through the ocean (On and Ever Onwards, Home is all around us). Beautiful interpretation of whale song, delightful harmonies, addictive.

This was a Christmas present for a friend and they were very happy with it. The Amazon wish list is very good if you don't know exactly what to get someone.

Me encantò.

splendido album, originalissimo.alla lunga può stancare ma è senz'altro un album che bisogna avere se si apprezzano gli autori

とてもさわやかな音楽です。作り込みすぎないスポンティニアスな空気感が最高です。