It’s difficult to fairly judge something that is so colored in hype— despite your desire to form your own opinion, the opinions of others almost always cloud your ability. But as I tried to avoid the Dirty Projector’s latest album, Bitte Orca, the recognizable album cover seemed to haunt me wherever I lay my eyes until I eventually surrendered and gave the highly praised album a listen. At first, I was hardly impressed; it sounded like every other album I had heard in 2009 thus far. But after another listen, I finally got “it”. Many critics make the mistake of focusing too much on lead singer, Dave Longstreth, but the true beauty of Bitte Orca is in the less obvious details, like the female harmonies backing many of the songs, which create the most gently soulful sounds I have ever heard. These vocals marry the breezy instrumentals seamlessly. Everything about this album just makes sense. Listen to the song, “Temecula Sunrise,” for example, and you’ll know what I mean. The song embodies what the title implies— it is a music representation of a natural phenomenon unlike anything you’ve ever heard. You truly feel like you are lying in a field in the California wine valley gazing at the sun as it crawls up and above the vineyards. It is so rare that art successfully mimics nature to this degree, but the Dirty Projectors pull it off. While I’m not so sure how people can call Bitte Orcathe “Album of the Year” only six months in, this album is definitely worthy of a listen. If you’re lucky enough to live in the NYC area, the band is giving a free show in Williamsburg July 19th— be sure to check it out!