Album Review: Lamp Lit Prose by Dirty Projectors

Album Review by Austin Sher

Looking back to better times in 2018, Dave Longstreth’s Dirty Projectors wowed us once again with the release of Lamp Lit Prose. Following up on 2017’s self-titled Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose took massive risks and featured legendary collaborators on what I would consider to be his greatest record yet.

The album kicks off with a Syd collaboration on the opener Right Now, a slight peak into the ever-changing styles and soundscapes that Longstreth exceeds at creating. Break-Thru quickly becomes an ear worm that you willingly don’t want to leave your brain and was perhaps one of my most danceable tracks of the year. Really though, the A-side of Lamp Lit Prose features hit after hit after hit. One of the best parts of this album is it proves itself to be a grower, not a shower. I found myself initially lukewarm on the album until I dug back in about a month later, then instantly loved everything I was hearing.

Skipping ahead to I Feel Energy, a track that could have easily been pulled off a Michael Jackson record, features Amber Mark and Longstreth at their absolute peak. It’s impossible not to bob your head and groove out to this track. At this point in the album, you should be fully immersed in what you’re experiencing. Zombie Conqueror, another hit, follows it right after and keeps you in about the same mood throughout the 4 minute cut.

The middle of the album experiences a slight lull in energy, but don’t mistake that lull for a bad song! Blue Bird and I Found It In U are two of the absolute biggest highlights here that could easily play for your unsuspecting parents. What Is The Time, another fantastic deep cut in Dirty Projectors’ discography is an easy one to understand. The lyricism is strong, the tapping piano is fun to move to, and this song sets up for what I would consider to be the climax of the album.

As much as I love the album closer, (I Wanna) Feel It All, I almost wish that the biggest collaboration on the record took the album out with a bang. Longstreth flexed his indie cred in a big way with You’re The One. It features Vampire Weekend’s Rostam and Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, two of the biggest names in indie music. Before even listening to the song, I knew it was going to be something massively special, and it was. Again, in my opinion, should’ve been the closer, but who am I to say?

Overall, if you just so happen to be reading this and are looking for your 2020 album of the summer, look no further than 2018’s Lamp Lit Prose by Dirty Projectors.

For more info on Dirty Projectors (especially the 5 EP’s they’re releasing this year), feel free to visit their website at https://dirtyprojectors.net/, or visit their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dirtyprojectors/ for the most up to date news!