In more ways than one, the new album Mount Wittenberg Orca seems perfectly fated. Both Björk and the Dirty Projectors have put out dazzling oceanic-themed releases in the past, but neither outfits seem to have anticipated this collaboration, which was put into motion because of a single meeting and eventually led to the creation of some goodwill all around, with all proceeds from the music sales going to the National Geographic Society Oceans Project. As the story goes, the idea to do Mount Wittenberg Orca first spawned when Amber Coffman of the Dirty Projectors was sitting atop said mountain imagining a dialogue between herself and the orcas she could see in the bay down below; following the initial inspiration and an intimate show between the Dirty Projectors and Björk, David Longstreth proposed that they do an album together. Lucky for us, Björk agreed, and the collaboration soon produced an abruptly sweet collection of nautical treats that for the most part highlights all of the best attributes of both outfits.
Just as she is so often in collaborative efforts, especially those with nature-inspired themes, Björk is in her element on Mount Wittenberg Orca, delivering vocals in the character of a whale that are so spot-on in their ability to tap into Coffman’s initial vision that it’s no wonder she’s been so successful with such a diverse range of artists over the years. The gloriously perky “On and Ever Onward” starts out with a choral round of “Eh! Eh! Eh!” that is dangerously close to becoming irksome before it is saved by Björk delivering Longstreth’s clever lines: “Our backyard is the bay/from the morning to the evening/swimming onwards through the day.” In a time when so many species are in danger of diminishing, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting way to promote a specific cause than having these particular musicians channel the quirky spirit of the orcas. While at times the jerkiness of Amber, Angel, and Haley‘s background harmonies is overpowering, more often than not the trio comes off sounding like a prettily-synched trio of sirens who heard all of the fun going on and decided to join in.
“When The World Comes To An End” sounds like a straight continuation of “On And Ever Onward,” but its choppiness is a bit too haphazard, consequently detracting from some of the latter song’s dizzyingly charming appeal. It does have some delightful bits, such as the distorted loopy guitar solo that suddenly cuts in with a gentle force, only to depart just as quickly; at the same time, though, the song becomes grating in the moments when David Longstreth strays from his own pleasantly smooth vocal style and haphazardly puts forth his own mangled Björk impersonation. While the urge to imitate the otherworldly bubbliness of Björk’s voice is understandable, nobody else can really pull off its endlessly charismatic (and, to be honest, vaguely sea-creature-like) qualities. Thankfully, the moment is over quickly, and for the rest of the album Longstreth’s own unique vocals are a welcome addition to the mix. This is especially true on “No Embrace,” a song that is a departure from the jerky, jaunting style that dominates the earlier tracks. Instead, sweeping changes develop “No Embrace” into a blissfully memorable, ebbing and flowing, oceanic love song that despite its differences still fits snugly in with the rest. On the aptly-titled “All We Are,” quivering harmonies mesh with the louder, more raw elements of Björk’s voice and the even, melodic qualities of Longstreth‘s voice, resulting in an exquisite culmination of each musician’s different vocal strengths. .
Not all artists can pull off making last-minute collaborations sound decent, and while there are parts of Mount Wittenberg Orca that would have benefitted from some fleshing out, the fact that this is a charity album in which Björk pretends to be a whale should be more than enough to grab the attention of anyone who’s been following either Björk or the Dirty Projectors. The album was put together extremely fast, with only a few days of rehearsal, so it would be unfair to expect too much—with just a little bit of guitar and upright bass for effect, the vocals are allowed to shine and the minimalism flourishes because of the respective talents of each member, making Mount Wittenberg Orca an unexpected, if unrefined, treat.
Track List:
1. Ocean
2. On and Ever Onward
3. When the World Comes to an End
4. Beautiful Mother
5. Sharing Orb
6. No Embrace
7. All We Are
