Brand new Dirty Projectors from their forthcoming record Bitte Orca. This is one of the most adventurous bands, at least vocally, that I know of. Two albums back, on Gettysburg Address, Dave Longstreth's (composer/singer/guitarist) first LP, the same could be said of their arrangements which were all sorts of weird. Cutups of orchestral arrangements of very idiosyncratic pop hooks, very odd beats, irregular time signatures and loss of tempo altogether, modern and chant like choral passages mixed with Longstreth's oddly shaped, melismatic melodic lines, sung in an unnerving falsetto/chest voice hybrid. It was basically a completely modernist take on pop that I'm truly surprised the New Music community never noticed. Then on Dirty Projectors second full length, Rise Above, they turned more rock, covering (at least lyrically) a Black Flag record but sporting a West African influenced guitar language (with hints of hardcore) and songs with just a hair more narrative continuity. Now on these few preview tracks from their new record, it seems like they're getting more involved with beats, straying even further from the orchestral and focusing straight on the vocal harmonies and flourishes and west african guitar tones, trills and runs. The lead single, "Stillness Is the Move" has an 80's programmed beat palette with an almost latin feel alla Janet Jackson's circa Rhythm Nation. Combine that with Amber Coffman's (correction!) scarily agile Mariah Carey impression which takes the premise of Longstreth's melismas (which are normally just right on the verge of R&B) much further into readable territory. The short of it is that this is more accessible stuff (I think) where melody and rhythmic structure act a bit less like an epileptic cat, and you can even dance a little. But the oddball theatrics are still around. Check out the superhuman vocal hocketing midway through "Remade Horizon" (I'm pretty sure that's only two people), or the guitar solo in "No Intention" which is built almost entirely from baroque ornaments. It's almost all fluff but it's gorgeous and completely tender at the same time. But on the whole Dirty Projectors are culling their strengths and playing to them. It makes it utterly enthralling for the rest of us to watch.

Stillness Is the Move
(Links removed by request of the label!!)
No Intention
Remade Horizon