Jolly Jolly Ego -The Dirty Projectors - 2005

Sweet and melancholy- yet glichy and playfully irreverent. A strong contrast is constructed between the repetitive (but never monotonous), elegantly modal-minor progression the choir sings (whew) and the glichy electronic collage of xylophones, a rude interruption of a trombone(?) and the near-falsetto singing of Dave Longstreth. All the while an orchestra of sweet oboes and clarinets reinforces the plaintive mood with a series of beautiful chords and a yearning melody.

This is spacious music, there are substantial breaks between the instruments, yet it moves coherently along with the help of a very slow drum beat. It only lasts 5:33, but it explores a greater range of expression than expected in that time frame. This is music is heavily electronically altered- there are very deliberate cuts and sudden breaks that might surprise those not expecting it and it lends a very.... different feeling to the music.All in all it works together very well, a beautiful and startling combination.


im such an amateur