Unconcerned With Intuition

Dirty Projectors “Swing Lo Magellan”

David Longstreth asked me for my impression of the lyrical content of his new record when I interviewed him a few months ago and he didn’t like what I said off the top of my head after having the record for a couple weeks and a lyric sheet for a day or two. Maybe I was focusing on something that wasn’t so interesting to him, or missing something he was trying to convey, but in terms of lyrics, what sticks out to me on Swing Lo Magellan is this fixation with death and a fear of malevolent forces beyond one’s control. It takes different forms over the course of the record, but it’s there in most of the songs. The title track is an exception, and it is my favorite on the album. There’s a relaxed, gentle sound through the whole record, and it’s very pronounced here – Longstreth sounds genuinely relaxed. I think the sentiment of the piece has to do with contemplating humanity’s need to understand their literal place in the world, and perhaps how creating maps and boundaries give us a false sense of mastery over the natural world. That’s my read on it, anyway. If David objects, he knows how to reach me.

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