The music was quiet: just voices and modestly amplified acoustic instruments. But the songs were hugely complex and ambitious, announcing their destination in the lyrics: on and on and ever onward.
Bjork was collaborating on a suite of six very new songs with Dirty Projectors, the New York City band led by David Longstreth. They had been brought together by Brandon Stosuy, from the music blog Stereogum.com, who supervised a Bjork tribute album and found they admired each other. No wonder: they could be musical cousins, although their songs head in different directions. Mr. Longstreths leaping, suddenly swelling vocal lines clearly show Bjorks influence. And his musics blend of classical and progressive-rock intricacy, pointillistic backup singing and West African picking patterns rightly appeals to the equally eclectic Bjork.
Before she appeared, Dirty Projectors played acoustic versions of four songs from its next album, Bitte Orca, which is set for release in June. Without drums or electric guitar, the arrangements grew transparent, uncovering all their layered vocal parts sometimes just quick, single, staggered notes richocheting among the three female singers and making Mr. Longstreths philosophical lyrics, about intention and the nature of reality, sound almost wistful.
