Tim's Myth & The 444s

CD Review: The arrival of my latest import, a six song EP by Tim's Myth entitled "The Goat," proves an undeniable and inescapable truth: Canada is a music force to be reckoned with.

Timothy Smith, the band's leader, handles all of the primary vocal assignments and songwriting duties. It's a task for which he is abundantly qualified and executes with great efficiency. Like all good leaders he has surrounded himself with a talented supporting cast and he knows when - and how - to utilize their skills, most notably Mark S. Berry, the project's producer, who captured, highlighted, and presented the chemistry and musicianship of the band in a way that is honest, powerful, and artistic.

Aside from the pensively abstract lyrics that are the hallmark of this EP, the guitar playing consistently competes for and sometimes steals the spotlight. The project's most commercial song, "News On The River," features supreme guitar melodies that provide and enhance a Beatlesesque vocal arrangement that lingers in your memory for days, as does "Mrs. Healy," which is as close to acoustic funk as you can get without crossing over.

This is not the typical indie rock project that's replete with throw-away tracks. This EP leaves nothing to spare in terms of quality, and it leaves you wanting more in terms of quantity. At the conclusion of what you think is the final track on the project, the riveting "Mexico Roads," (which showcases the awesome base guitar playing skills of Brent Hamilton) you almost feel cheated that the disc is over...then...out of no where, the "hidden" track comes on to appropriately close out the project with a tender scaled down ballad which illuminates the poignancy of Tim's distinctive soulful voice, drawing a mild comparison to Darryl Hall (of Hall & Oates) in the process. It's a nice surprise ending for the CD, and a great way to punctuate the depth and versatility of the band. - Gian Fiero