Everyone Looks Alive And Waiting

Dirty Projectors “Cannibal Resource”

Like many of the greatest album-opening tracks of all time, “Cannibal Resource” has the effect of making the listener feel as though they are passing through a portal and entering a new world. The distinct aesthetic of the band is quickly established, with each element of their style introduced in a way that is more inviting than confrontational. They are not holding anything back, but it is clear that this is meant to be ingratiating and pleasurable. Whereas previous Dirty Projectors music often reveled in its own strangeness, the music on Bitte Orca is matter-of-fact about its quirks and deliberately beautiful. This is incredibly confident art — thoughtful, considered, extremely controlled — but it is not sterile or overworked. Every moment of “Cannibal Resource” is flawless in its execution; every rhythmic shift, harmony, and guitar tone precisely calibrated to evoke color, optimism, and graceful movement. It sounds like a new world opening up around you, or perhaps more accurately, finding a new way of thinking about and seeing the world you already know. Every moment of the song feels like a personal revelation, and the moment when everything around you suddenly seems invested with a wonderful new meaning.

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