Dirty Projectors2017's self-titled Dirty Projectors was definitive proof that you don't need to be a good person to make good music.
It was a product of lead Projector David Longstreth's pettiness, bitterness and selfishness. It was also perfect: a shining gem of wonky, sometimes multi-tonal pop.
For better or worse, the selfishness remains: Break-Thru, the story of Longstreth's new love, is not a celebration of a wonderful new woman in his life; it is a celebration of her enabling him to break through the sadness of his earlier breakup. Women are not agents in Longstreth's world; they are props and plot devices. The glorious joy is compelling in I Feel Energy even as you realise you're watching a pantomime villain in his cathartic moment of triumph. That's A Lifestyle contains a moment so euphoric - Longstreth crying, "'Cause the monster eats its young!" - that you're reminded why you started listening to pop music in the first place.
