I suppose the proper context for the two-track 7” single Ascending Melody is The Dirty Projector’s Bitte Orca, the critically acclaimed 2009 album which would have provided its A-sides (it feels terribly satisfying and antique to use the terminology, “7” single” and “A-side” in the same opening sentence). Originally supposed to be packaged as a September 2009 EP—there’s some of that old lexicon again—these two come as a free download courtesy of the band.
Why such a serendipitous introduction to a simple two-track recording?
As with everything from the Brooklyn-based experimental rock band, the songs on Ascending Melody beg multiple listens (I gave it three; my run on the treadmill allowed that) even if they don’t comprise their absolute finest work. Had the original EP come out with “Temecula” and “Cannibal Resource” as planned, then those would have been described in detail as the stellar tracks, and no writer would spill any precious ink—er, I mean, wasted any bandwidth—writing further about these. These songs are true-to-life B-sides. However, both possess something worth describing: “Ascending Melody” uses vocal interplay that rises above even this band’s standard for intricate, in-depth mixing, and “Emblem Of The World” has some of the most organically recorded drum tracks I can remember. Their texture is something to behold.
As with everything from The Dirty Projectors, even what might pass as mediocre is still cause for conversation. |