The much-anticipated followup to Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors' 2009 art-rock breakthrough, is billed as "simple and direct." But that’s a relative statement with a band this squirrelly. Sure, there are love songs, big choruses and sticky melodies. Then there are chamber-music dissonances, talking-drumbeat sputters and quotation-marked power chords. The ripe alto of Angel Deradoorian, on hiatus, is missed, although oddball harmonies still carry the day. On "Irresponsible Tune," leader Dave Longstreth harnesses the magic of bygone vocal groups like the Orioles and the Comedian Harmonists, singing about  "a world crooked, fucked up and wrong" and, briefly, makes it right.

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“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.