5EPs is an anthology of five extended play albums released by American indie rock band Dirty Projectors throughout 2020. The first four EPs each feature a different band member as lead vocalist: Windows Open (Maia Friedman), Flight Tower (Felicia Douglass), Super João (Dave Longstreth), Earth Crisis (Kristin Slipp). The full band sings on the final EP, Ring Road.[7][8]
| 5EPs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CD and digital cover | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2020 | |||
| Label | Domino | |||
| Producer | David Longstreth | |||
| Dirty Projectors chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from 5EPs | ||||
Promotion and release
editDirty Projectors released a video for "Overlord" in February 2020, their first new music since 2018, when the band's lineup changed.[9] "Overlord" would later appear on Windows Open, the band's first EP in the five-EP series, released on March 27, 2020. "Search for Life", another track on the EP, was released a few days prior to the album.[10]
The band performed "Lose Your Love" (from Flight Tower) on the late-night comedy show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee in mid-2020.[7]
For the fifth EP, Ring Road, the band released a video for "My Possession".[11]
Domino released the five EPs as the anthology 5EPs on November 20, 2020, as both a double vinyl LP record and a five-disc deluxe box set.[7]
| EP | Release date | Lead vocalist |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Open | March 27, 2020 | Maia Friedman |
| Flight Tower | June 25, 2020 | Felicia Douglass |
| Super João | September 4, 2020 | David Longstreth |
| Earth Crisis | October 1, 2020 | Kristin Slipp |
| Ring Road | November 20, 2020 | — |
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[14] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[15] |
| Paste | 6.8/10[16] |
| Slant Magazine |  [17] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 7 reviews.[12]
Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote, "Some listeners may prefer to only focus on one or two chapters in this series, but 5EPS confirms that all of them make the grade, individually and collectively."[13] Kaelen Bell of Exclaim wrote, "In allowing others back into the fray and stripping their sound, Longstreth has once again tapped into what made the band so engrossing in the first place. 5EPs feels like a restart, a long and considered exhale."[14] Max Freedman of Paste wrote, "5EPs is the first time this seemingly interminable project has felt completely approachable, rather than yet another informational overload in this swirling year. And though it highlights each performer’s unique strengths, it sometimes obscures the new members’ talents under tried-and-true Dirty Projectors sounds."[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "On the Breeze" |
| 2:08 |
| 2. | "Overlord" |
| 2:43 |
| 3. | "Search for Life" |
| 2:49 |
| 4. | "Guarding the Baby" |
| 2:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Inner World" |
| 2:22 |
| 6. | "Lose Your Love" |
| 2:48 |
| 7. | "Self Design" | Longstreth | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Empty Vessel" | Longstreth | 2:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Holy Mackerel" | Longstreth | 4:01 |
| 10. | "I Get Carried Away" | Longstreth | 2:11 |
| 11. | "You Create Yourself" | Longstreth | 2:48 |
| 12. | "Moon, If Ever" |
| 2:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Eyes on the Road" |
| 2:48 |
| 14. | "There I Said It" |
| 1:21 |
| 15. | "Bird's Eye" |
| 4:40 |
| 16. | "Now I Know" |
| 4:03 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Por Qué No" |
| 1:43 |
| 18. | "Searching Spirit" | Longstreth | 2:34 |
| 19. | "No Studying" |
| 2:28 |
| 20. | "My Possession" | Longstreth | 3:11 |
References
edit- ^ Yoo, Noah (February 26, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Share New Song "Overlord": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (March 24, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Announce New Windows Open EP, Share New Song "Search for Life": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Leas, Ryan (May 5, 2020). "Dirty Projectors – "Lose Your Love"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (June 11, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Delve Deep Into the 'Inner World' on New Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Lane, Lexi (August 19, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Announce Super João EP, Share Video For "Holy Mackerel"". Paste. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Leas, Ryan (October 27, 2020). "Dirty Projectors – "Searching Spirit"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c Martoccio, Angie (October 27, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Conclude Five-EP Cycle With 'Ring Road,' Prep Anthology". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (August 19, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Announce 'Super João' EP, Share 'Holy Mackerel'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (February 26, 2020). "Watch Dirty Projectors Wander and Ponder Through New York City in 'Overlord'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (March 24, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Preview New EP With 'Search for Life'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (November 20, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Pose for Goofy Slow Motion Portraits in 'My Possession' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "5EPs by Dirty Projectors Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Dirty Projectors - 5EPs Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Bell, Kaelen (November 20, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Rekindle Their Spark with '5EPs'". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Inscoe-Jones, Liam (November 17, 2020). "Dirty Projectors are, literally, a brand new band on 5EPs". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Freedman, Max (November 11, 2020). "Dirty Projectors Rotate Roles on the Slightly Spotty 5EPs". Paste. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Lyons-Burt, Charles (November 18, 2020). "Review: Dirty Projectors's 5EPs Highlights the Band's Strengths as a Collective". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2023.