Swing Lo Magellan [Import]

Dirty Projectors | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2012)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B007W1NH2I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,208,066 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Offspring Are Blank

2. About To Die

3. Gun Has No Trigger

4. Swing Lo Magellan

5. Just From Chevron

6. Dance For You

7. Maybe That Was It

8. Impregnable Question

9. See What She Seeing

10. The Socialites

11. Unto Caesar

12. Irresponsible Tune

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sound and the Fury July 10, 2012

By Dr. Rock

Format:Audio CD

I've been slowly warming up to Dirty Projectors ever since hearing their 2009 release, Bitte Orca. Hailed as a masterpiece of art pop by most critics, the album received a more divisive reaction from the hoi polloi. Tending to naturally lean toward the poppier songs on an album, my immediate favorite was "Two Doves." Overall, I felt that a lot of the album was art for art's sake and its finicky experimentalism prevented me from truly enjoying Bitte Orca as a whole.

With the release of Swing Lo Magellan, the band has veered off into a completely different direction altogether. The sparse string arrangements, African guitars, and crazy drumming remain intact but the focus on pop song structure is a notable change. Indie quirkiness takes a backseat to melody on this album, and the result is some of the best hooks I have ever encountered on a Dirty Projectors record. People are calling this record their most accessible yet - the perfect balance of musical intellectualism and pure pop. Here's my take, track-by-track.

Offspring Are Blank - The first song on the album opens in typical Dirty Projectors fashion, with those excellent female backup vocals, but it isn't long until the song breaks into a 70's fuzz-rock chorus. (6/10)

About to Die - This might be the best example of the tightrope the band walks between pop and obscure. The verses are sporadic and lyrical but the chorus is simple and extremely catchy. When the strings come in, it adds an amazing element to the song. (10/10)

Gun Has No Trigger - Likely the most minimalistic song on the album, Gun Has No Trigger consists mainly of voices, singing over drums and a very funky bass line. This song does indeed sound as if it were pulled from a James Bond film. (10/10)

Swing Lo Magellan - In the title track, Dave Longstreth slips into a Lou Reed singing voice for a song that sounds as if it were right off of The Velvet Underground's eponymous album. The simple folk melody and soft vocals are an unexpected surprise. (8/10)

Just From Chevron - Somewhat reminiscent of "Stillness on the Move," this track features a notable blend of both male and female lead vocals. The lyrical theme here is a dark reminder of 2010's disastrous oil spill. (6/10)

Dance For You - This is possibly the most pop-conscious track on the album. If interesting indie music were ever played on the radio (instead of that one song by Gotye), this song would be a hit. Simple, sweet lyrics that sound unusually sincere and less abstract than Longstreth's usual fare. (10/10)

Maybe That Was It - I was picking up some major Pink Floyd vibes from this track. Its effortless classic rock vibe is obvious, though it sounds to me a little more like a skip track on a Pink Floyd album. (5/10)

Impregnable Question - Piano hits, female oo's, walking bassline, acoustic guitar, tambourine... this song is pure Motown. It's catchy as anything I've heard all year and it sounds like a rare find, pulled out of a milk crate of old records. (10/10)

See What She Seeing - This track is pleasant enough. The strings in the background add a nice touch to a song that would otherwise seem empty. (6/10)

The Socialites - The only song on the album without David Longstreth's vocals, The Socialites is a lyrically straightforward take on snobs. It can be summed up in one line, "I'm glad they're the ones on the other side of the glass." Notice the synthesizers in the background purring like alien cats throughout. (8/10)

Unto Caesar - Sounding a little like a hippie jam, "Unto Caesar" sounds strangely like something that could be played at Woodstock at its best, and similar to a Dave Matthews B-side at its worst. "When should we bust into harmony?" is a great hidden line in there. (6/10)

Irresponsible Tune - A soulful album closer. It almost sounds like a modern take on a classic blues song that nobody ever heard. (7/10)

Overall, this album is a huge step in the right direction if this band seeks to widen their appeal. Thanks for reading.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Projectors - Swing low but aim high July 10, 2012

By Red on Black TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

In 2009 Brooklyn wonders the Dirty Projectors produced an album of such sheer invention entitled "Bitte Orca" that when they released it it should have come with a patent. The name "Talking Heads" is generally bandied around when it comes to this band but frankly what both bands really share in common is a sense of inventiveness and most importantly a desire to produce music that taxes your brain cells. The inventor in chief in the band is a real "Smart Alec" named David Longstreth who studied classical composition at Yale University and brings with him a desire to test, tease and on occasions torment in terms of his musical constructions. He also had within the band Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian two female singers blessed with voices that could melt polar ice caps not least in fabulous songs like "Stillness is the move" and the the ravishing beauty contained in the orchestral highs of 'Two Doves".

It appears that for Longstreth's latest offering "Swing Lo Magellan" that regular vocalist, Angel Deradoorian, is on a bit of a hiatus although Coffman remains present. Indeed she takes control on one of the major highlights on this album the bubbling and minimalist funk of the wonderful "The socialites" which for the curious should be the point of entry in this cerebral but largely accessible album. Opening track "Offspring are blank" starts with a good old humming sound from a mix of male and female voices and loops it way through a clever song structure laid out by Longstreth which is punctuated by an impertinent noisy rock guitar which rudely but effectively breaks the gentle flow of the song. Other songs like the poptastic single "Gun has no trigger" are far more straightforward affairs and in days of yore before Cowell created monstrosities dominated the airways might have actually charted. The title track does tip a nod to David Byrne but is none the worse for it while the playful "Dance for you" shows that Longstreth is taking a decidedly more accessible path than earlier albums. On that song he reflects that "there is an answer, I havent found it" and yet musically he seems to be getting closer to a form of inventive pop perfection matched by too few other bands. Irritatingly "Impregnable question" sounds to this reviewer like a Prince song but with the old grey matter receding rapidly identfying which is one it is is proving a source of high irritation (help!). Some might complain that all this amounts to a significant blunting of the dense quirkiness that was found on previous Projectors output and yet one of the best songs on this album "See what she seeing" sounds like a manic Kid A style ping pong match with a structure held together by the Longstreth's best vocal. One significant complaint is that he is so full of ideas that perhaps ultimately he rather over dominates this album and with a vocalist like Amber Coffman at hand it seems to be a case of wilful underuse of her considerable skills?

"Swing Lo Magellan" ends with a song entitled "Irresponsible tune" which ironically for Longstreth at least is a straightforward acoustic strum albeit one that hauntingly fades out to conclude a work which cements the reputation of the Dirty Projectors as a band who are not content to stand still and rest on the proverbial laurels. This is an intricate and invigorating album that for those who have never heard of this band represents an ideal starting point because of its underlying pop sensibility. Dirty Projectors remain a challenging band who remain wedded to producing music that sometimes doesn't quite hit the mark but when it does they are unstoppable.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Album: Eclectic but not Esoteric / Fun but not Silly July 13, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:MP3 Music

Recorded across one year and 40 demos, The Dirty Projector's SWING LO MAGELLAN has made its way out of the studio. Written, arranged, mixed, produced, by David Longstreth, this album was meant to be more personal and eclectic than previous releases. Strangely, this album feels more complete than others (even 2009's very good BITTE ORCA), while maintaining Longstreth's promise that these songs wouldn't be united by a single theme or style.

The Dirty Projectors is a band that is constantly experimenting with its own sound. This album is no different, but it feels much looser than past releases. Where other albums felt conscious about the experimentation that was taking place, SWING LO MAGELLAN feels much less thought out; instead, many of the vocal flares and instrumental flourishes sound improvised or instinctual. It feels less like Longstreth is trying to be interesting and more like he's having fun writing music. The second half of the album doesn't quite live up to the fantastic first half of SWING LO MAGELLAN; "The Socialites," doesn't have a good enough melody to support itself. "Unto Caesar" and its dragging strings slow the song down to a crawl. "Irresponsible Tune," while an interesting choice to finish the album, doesn't meet their rest of the album's emotional heights.

Stylistically, this album is all over the place. The ripping guitar riff that interrupts quiet intro track "Offspring Are Blank" could have come out of Fugazi. The go-for-broke vocals in "About to Die" and "Unto Caesar" are reminiscent of Animal Collective. The rhythmic meter and crooning of "See What You're Seeing" recalls a great Hot Chip track. The closing track "Irresponsible Tune" wouldn't sound too out of place in a collection of recent Neil Young acoustics. SWING LO MAGELLAN covers plenty of musical ground, and while I use other bands for stylistic references, the Dirty Projectors are uniquely their own.

For listeners that are new to the Dirty Projectors, this album is a great one to start with: it's consistent, and it feels like a good summation of everything the band has worked on until now. For those who are familiar with Longstreth and company, SWING LO MAGELLAN is a great addition to the band's already good discography, but some listeners might mourn to the absence of Angel Deradoorian. Fans of the Talking Heads, Animal Collective, Hot Chip, or the Shins will find material here to like. Standout songs to sample/download: "Gun Has No Trigger," "About to Die," and "Impregnable Question." These songs will give listeners an idea of what to expect for the band's musical style, but it's not representative of everything SWING LO MAGELLAN has to offer.

Overall, if you have been put off by the Dirty Projector's quirky sensibilities in the past, you can probably pass on this. If, however, you're looking for an interesting album that has plenty of nuance to pour over, SWING LO MAGELLAN is a great listen.