This album starts off with “Loop”, and right off the bat I actually seriously love just how breezy and sunny this one is. This is, to an extent the sound that Woods has been working with for years, but it’s not nearly as hazy and trying desperately to be some Hippie band as they did on “Love IS Love”. Nom surprisingly for a light and fluffy Folk instrumental, there’s actually some serious determination. I love some of the jam aspects of this, and the more electronic instrumentals that flutter in are really done well too. Now, this is a near 3-minute instrumental track, so I can’t really ask for a life-changing track. But on all ends, this is a seriously pleasant track that’s not nearly as half-baked as it could have been. Already, I’m impressed with this EP, even if it this does come off like a live jam, it’s a good one. On the other hand, “Turn Around” comes off like the sort of “Fried by the desert sun” tune that Woods got on their “City Sun Eater In the River of Light” album. Now, yes, Jeremy Earl’s high pitched vocals are still just as polarizing. But personally, I love just how haunting they can be when he does them right. While I’ve had a problem with Woods going “Full Hippie” on their last album, I actually really love just how far-out and how unapologetically Psychedelic this one is. It’s fluffy and spacey, but there’s still such a sense of emotion behind these performances. And honestly, with these genres, it’s something you don’t always get. Not to mention, the very wide instrumental and some of those killer solos are a seriously nice touch. “Marfa Sunset” up next strips things right back in a big way. This one, however, is much more centered around a cosmic jam from its start. I do think it’s pleasant to listen too though, with Dungen influencing the sounds of this one a whole lot more. It’s been a long time, and I mean a LONG time since I heard Woods come out with anything this freaky. But I just think this one is a little underwritten for what it is. It’s interesting, and if you’re just chilling like this EP is surely made for, you may dig this a little more than me. It’s certainly not bad, but of all the collaborations here this is by far the least interesting. Then we have “Morning Myth”, which right off the bat has the same very dreary and hazy atmosphere. There’s always been such a haunted feel to Woods music, which yes has certainly attracted me to it in the past. But instantly this one is so much more compelling than the last track. Yes, it still has a rather cosmic feel to it. But more than anything, Dungen and Woods really seem like they’re on the same page, playing off one another and really getting into some ridiculous grooves. “Morning Myth” is simply entrancing and incredibly enjoyable. So much of the material on this EP is instrumental, but in cases like this, it’s just so pleasant. The grooves are dead on, and the woodwinds give this such a majestic touch. All around, I’m totally into “Morning Myth”.
This EP continues with “Jag Ville Va Kvar”, and while this track is just as sunny, it has a ridiculously thick funk that I’m seriously into. Hell, this one almost has some Reggae vibes. Now, obviously, this is a big moment as far as Dungen’s contributions go. And it really goes over nicely, to be honest. It’s bright and just as pleasant on the ears. But it continues to really show just how great of a bond Dungen and Woods have. On the first few Myths EP’s, all of them sounded great on paper. But at the end of the day, they ended up coming off rushed, even awkward. But this EP sounds like two friendly bands jamming together and having great chemistry. I just can’t get enough go how fluffy and easygoing “Jag Ville Va Kvar” is, even though it has a lot of cosmic influences. But if that very light Psychedelic sound isn’t you’re cup of tea, “Saint George” is a much heavier Psych Rock tune that’s much more upbeat and determined sounding. As far as a straight up Jam goes, this is near perfect. There are parts here that I actually completely forget that two different worlds are coming together. This could have been solo track of either one of these bands, but together it’s magnificent. And Dungen and Woods continue to really play off each other so well. I mean year, this easily could have been a Woods jam, but having Dungen around to back them up gives this a gigantic sense of depth. Not to mention, there’s still a very cosmic feel to this, and I love how freakish it gets in its closing minutes. At the end of the day, “Saint George” is an awesome jam. And if you don’t have that whole Jam aspect down, “Just For The Taste” is the sort of straightforward finale that you’ve been looking for. There are still some very freaky elements in just how wailing some of those guitars are, but this one is smooth and really doesn’t stray too far from the Folk base of this track. I just find it ironic that all around this is some of the most interesting material either one of these bands has put out in a few years, and 90% of this EP is instrumental. But both bands keep in interesting by changing things up just enough, making for a very pleasant EP.
Rating: 8.0/10
Give A Listen To: "Loop", "Turn Around", "Morning Myth", "Just For The Taste"
Genre: Psychedelic Folk / Psychedelic Rock / Folk Rock
Overall Thoughts: Woods and Dungen really come through on here with surprisingly pleasant and concise set of tracks. The "Myths" series in the past has been such a disappointment to me, often sounding like two acts thrown together and rushed to record. But here, Woods and Dungen actually get like half an hour of a recording together, and the result has some fantastic chemistry. More times than not, the Cosmic jams these two offer up are so concise that you forget this is a collaboration between two artists. Now, the majory of this EP is instrumental, just warning you. But if you can get past that, this EP is seriously pleasant and has some serious jams on it.
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