“She keeps it 100 in the shade,” Dave Longstreth croons in a wispy falsetto minutes into his eighth LP. “She is so dreamy.” A fanciful, pitch-shifted guitar lick flutters giddily; reversed strings and harmonica wander through the mix. The songwriter, who once seemed to thrive on lyrical elusiveness, nods with a carefree zeal to Federico Fellini and The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas. The playfulness feels purposeful, arriving after Dirty Projectors’ self-titled 2017 album—a 48-minute play-by-play of Longstreth and his former bandmate/girlfriend Amber Coffman’s breakup that was illuminating in its emotional reach but exhausting in its musical scope, as the mastermind burrowed down rabbit holes of electronica, freaky jazz and symphonic art-rock. Lamp Lit Prose is equally unpredictable, but with an exuberance that keeps the experimentation aglow with the help of many guests including HAIM, Syd, Empress Of, Amber Mark and Dear Nora. “Zombie Conqueror” nails the sweet spot of ornate folk and jagged, mutant hard-rock that propelled his 2009 masterpiece, Bitte Orca ; Longstreth showcases his soulful side on electro-funk jam “I Feel Energy,” slipping into a sleek falsetto over handclaps and horns; “You’re the One” is his version of an acoustic campfire ditty, with Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and former Vampire Weekend member Rostam rounding out an indie-rock dreamteam on harmony vocals. “I’ll always have love for what came before,” he croons on the latter track. “And with you, I feel it more and more.” It’s a moment of unfussy sweetness on an album layered with cinematic detail. Sixteen years in, Dirty Projectors now feels like a natural vehicle for Longstreth’s every emotional state and sonic whim.