A DJ and Reviewer’s Guide to Words to Burn/The Near Myths If ever an album disproved the myth of the sophomore slump, Words to Burn is it. Reeling from the loss of founding member Andy Oglesby, the remaining Near Myths turned the final recording sessions into a glorious wake for their old friend, completing work on three of his songs. Taking their cue from such harmonizers as Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and The Papas, and CSNY, The Near Myths are eclectic New Millennium vagabond mongrels, infusing traditional folk-rock and pop with a thoroughly contemporary sensibility. 1. “Romances.” Kicking off a suite of songs about the vicissitudes of love, the opening tune cruises along on a bed of crisp acoustic guitars and irresistible harmonies. “Heartbreak mixed with pleasure / Pain turns out to be treasure.” (4:01) 2. “Laughing by Now.” This British Invasion homage is a bittersweet delight. Intricate vocal arrangement, 12-string lead, it’s got it all. “We should be laughing by now / We should have kissed and said ‘It’s all fine / Let’s make up for lost time.’” (3:50) 3. “Salmon.” Can you say “backwards piano whoosh”? Producer Phil Valera, The Near Myths’ very own George Martin, digs into his bag of amazing tricks to heighten the spooky mood of this propulsive gem. Three-part harmony “oohs” and dual electric guitars seal the deal. “The Salmon is the river of no return . . .” (3:02) 4. “Need You Gone.” In which The Near Myths seriously rock out. Crunchy, distorted electric guitars, vocal loops, psychedelic organ, wailing background vocals, killer drums. “Gonna find the heart of rock and roll . . .” (4:20) 5. “Jubilee.” Grab your baby and head on down to the creek. We’ll already be there, playing up a storm. Dig the soulful organ, and the lead guitar’s hotter than the bonfire! “If you will . . . Play the song you know!” (4:16) 6. “Slip across the Border.” The mood is mellow and the piano goes down like hot buttered rum on a snowy day. Bernadette takes the lead vocal here, a first for The Near Myths, and the background vocals fit like a velvet glove. “If you’ve been hesitating / The time is ripe for you / To make your move / You can slip across the border into love.” (3:46) 7. “Winter Dreams.” Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A little gypsyish, a little Beatle-y. The two female backing vocals fit the story perfectly. “Pretty as a picture, when I was twenty-four / But now I don’t remember, I don’t try anymore.” (3:31) 8. “White Horse.” Catchy, and the percussion and the flutes do give it a Caribbean feel, but do not call it “The Cha-Cha song.” Please. Who is the Doc? And why is he riding that white horse? “And me, I had the voice / And you, you had the hands / And the Doc had fire and ice to give away / And all his talk and plans.” (3:03) 9. “Even Misery.” The soundtrack to the first ever Near Myths’ music video; check it out on YouTube. A retro blast of rockabilly and pub rock, complete with reverbed vocals, cheesy organ, ooohs and ahhhs, and dynamite lead break. You’ll smile at the clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics: “‘Cause even misery doesn’t care for your company.” (3:03) 10. “Piedmont Shuffle.” Not really a shuffle, technically speaking, but a bouncy, fun song with a compelling bass line, harmonica, and background vocals. You won’t be able to get it out of your head. “Seems like you hardly open your eyes / Before they start turning out the light.” (3:35) 11. “(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street.” Andy’s swan song. A fond remembrance of and farewell to a memorable time and place. A magnum opus. Andy put his heart and soul into writing this one, and we put everything we had into it, too. “Come on in and have a seat, take a load off of your feet.” (8:21) 12. “Why . . . .” A beautifully edgy meditation on life and how it’s lived. This is grown-up music for grown-ups of all ages. The band’s four-part harmony meshes seamlessly, Teep’s guitar solo shimmers, and no one ever banged a gong more profoundly than Phil. “But ‘Why?’ like any other foolish question / Has no answer.” (5:12) 13. “In the Big Picture.” Ben’s lovely, tentative vocal and finger picking rise wraith-like from the tense reverberation of the gong at the end of “Why . . . .” The choruses swell, full bodied and full hearted, while Phil’s Theremin wheels and spins overhead like a guardian angel. “In the big picture / The picture’s pretty big.” (6:04)