Songs of the Earth is a masterful work of orchestral arrangements; adventrous vocals performed by Dirty Projectors bandmates Maia Friedman, Felicia Douglass, and Olga Bell; and the Berlin-based chamber orchestra s t a r g a z e, conducted by André de Ridder. The album also features Steve Lacy, Anastasia Coope, Phil Elverum from Mount Eerie [Tape Op #32], Patrick Shiroishi, Tim Bernardes, Ayoni, and Portraits of Tracy.
In a world of thirty second TikTok song snippets and hyper-pop, Songs of the Earth is a refreshing musical offering. It blurs the lines between multiple genres and invites the listener to do just that; listen. It is adventurous, challenging, and delightful. Zero hesitation five stars.