Albums to watch

Lamp Lit Prose

Dirty Projectors

Lamp Lit Prose

Eighth studio album of experimental indie rock from David Longstreth's Brooklyn-based outfit

ADM rating[?]

7.3

Label
Domino
UK Release date
13/07/2018
US Release date
13/07/2018
  1. 10.0 |   The Skinny

    A terrifically upbeat album full of hopeful lyrics and bold, brassy arrangements
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  2. 9.0 |   musicOMH

    The last album was such a darkly compelling set that it’d be wrong to frame Lamp Lit Prose as a ‘return to form’, but it’s perhaps a return to the light, to uneasy listening of a different sort
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  3. 8.3 |   A.V. Club

    Dirty Projectors felt like an ending, but Lamp Lit Prose suggests several new beginnings and an army of collaborators looking to help Longstreth find inspiration and passion among the ashes
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  4. 8.2 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    Lower the windows, crank that volume, and sing along at the top of your lungs
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  5. 8.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    Dirty Projectors are back with Lamp Lit Prose, an album that feels like the purposeful antithesis of its predecessor
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  6. 8.0 |   All Music

    While HAIM, Amber Mark, Syd (of the Internet), Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) and Empress Of all contribute their talents to these songs, this is very much David Longstreth's music, and it's heartfelt, passionate, and beguiling in the tradition of Dirty Projectors' best work
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  7. 8.0 |   NME

    Love triumphs on the band's most intriguing and joyous album since 2009's breakthrough 'Bitte Orca'
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  8. 8.0 |   Clash

    Everything feels so much more alive, everything so much more stark; Longstreth seems to have emerged from a year-long slumber, and there is no more sleeping in sight
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  9. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Another outstanding chapter in what is shaping up to be one of the great 21st-century musical odysseys. Print edition only

  10. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Longstreth still doesn't make it easy on the listener with his frantic arrangements. but, this time around, the sense of plainly expressed emotions is strong. Print edition only

  11. 8.0 |   The Independent

    LContinues the artist’s growth, mixing twangy acoustic guitars, electric pianos, sampled vocals, tinny drums and fun vocal melodies to create a unique pop record
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  12. 8.0 |   The Music

    A shining gem of wonky, sometimes multi-tonal pop
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  13. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    Where Longstreth once isolated each of his artistic tendencies, he now seems more willing to let them occupy the same space, rubbing up against one another to create something altogether unique and truly joyous
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  14. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    This polar opposite of Dave Longstreth’s previous break-up howl, this album is impossible to resist
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  15. 8.0 |   DIY

    Buoyant and witty, and notably shy of meandering eight-minute odysseys
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  16. 8.0 |   Crack

    Once again positions David Longstreth as a left-field musical auteur like no other, making the avant-garde accessible
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  17. 7.6 |   Paste Magazine

    Channeling earlier releases, longtime fans will be pleased, while newbies will eat up the poppier offerings and Longstreth’s tastier melodies
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  18. 7.5 |   Consequence Of Sound

    David Longstreth side-steps the self-indulgence and delivers quirk, wit, and warmth
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  19. 7.4 |   Pitchfork

    For all its grandiose anxiety, the most rewarding moments here boil down to a simple reprieve: love and art can empower the meek to stare down the apocalypse
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  20. 7.0 |   Under The Radar

    A summer record full of love, guitars, and a far happier outlook than anyone would have expected from Longstreth a year on from the utter devastation of his last release.
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  21. 7.0 |   Earbuddy

    Coming into it fresh will confuse new listeners. The quirkiness will seem off-putting rather than charming. The simple songs will seem too simple rather than endearing
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  22. 7.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    It’s a work of populist experimentation, a piece of music that flails outward as much as it meditates inward
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  23. 7.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    A reminder of what’s made the band such a magnetic listen over the years
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  24. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Ultimately, Lamp Lit Prose is a far more enjoyable listen than last year's self-titled in terms of content and feel alone
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  25. 6.0 |   Q

    Full marks for ambition but there's still a powerful sense here of a man trying way too hard. Print edition only

  26. 6.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    David Longstreth can make excellent records – he’s already made three or four. But this isn’t one of them
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  27. 6.0 |   The Arts Desk

    There’s no denying that it’s a creative album from a true talent, but enjoying the full gamut will be down to personal taste
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  28. 6.0 |   The Observer

    You would not start here if you were new to this ear-boggling band, but Longstreth remains a singular talent
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  29. 6.0 |   The FT

    The best songs cleave most closely to the make-happy remit, such as the slow-jam Prince impression that Longstreth pulls off in “What Is the Time”
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  30. 5.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Dazzling and exhausting
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  31. 2.0 |   The Irish Times

    Crammed with ideas, which vary wildly from the slightly okay to the awfully bad and the downright ugly
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