After gaining themselves considerable coverage with their Floodgate Records debut, You Can't Trust A Ladder (including getting in the Top 3 of MTV 2's Dew Circuit Breakout), The Myriad returns with a sneak peak at their upcoming full-length sophomore album. Prelude to Arrows EP is six songs of shining indie rock reminiscent of Great Northern or The Shins. Smooth piano, driving guitars, and complicated drum tracks permeate the EP.

The first track, "Forget What You Came For," mixes piano with guitars perfectly, creating an elegant landscape of music in the process. "A Thousand Winters Melting," undeniably one of the best tracks on the album, uses an incredible bass-piano mix, and the whole thing goes perfectly with lead singer Jeremy Edwardson's voice. Other noteworthy tracks include "Don't Let Them See You!" and "The Holiest of Thieves" (which sounds quite like The Album Leaf).

While the album achieves near perfection sonically, the lyrics are a bit fuzzy. Although the songs seem to point toward looking to something higher, it's up to the band to decide exactly what they're looking for. However, the lack of lyrical clarity is almost entirely made up for by the music itself. Throughout the disc, many different styles are incorporated into every song.

If you're looking for ambient mind landscapes, experimental rock, incredible drums, all of the above, or none of the above, Prelude to Arrows is for you. Every song is something special, and every note is something beautiful. This is one of the best EP's (or albums, for that matter) of the year. If Prelude is this good, imagine what the real thing will sound like come March when With Arrows, With Poise releases.

- Review date: 12/9/07, written by Garrett DeRossett