The Decemberists are one of my more favorite groups, and 5 songs is just a great little EP. It is so great that it actually has 6 songs, not just 5 as the title may suggest. They don't depart from their normal sound and smart lyrics here, but they do kick up the poppiness a notch. Colin Meloy writes some smart material that is soaked in European peasant ideals, sea voyages, gypsy treks and the obscure historical references-everything that makes a great pop song. I love their smartness of music and lyrics. Clever segways, nice orchestration. they have a great sound: organs, guitars, accordions strings, interesting lead vocals, even some tight drums... My favorite track on the EP is the closing number Apology Song where one friend sings to the other about losing their bike and how he is so sorry, that until the point he lost it he had treated it as his own, the audacity someone had to take it, and the likely sordid adventures the bike has been on since. Truly a stunning work. The rest of the Decemberists catalog is worth a listen as well.