Echoes and dust

Plants and Animals are another product from the fertile music factory that is Montreal. In 2008 they released ‘Parc Avenue’ to critical acclaim in Canada, now they head over to these shores with their debut release 'With/Avec', a four track EP.

'Lola Who?' starts like an acoustic Radiohead track that slowly builds with the strummed guitars getting more vociferous, promising to reach a climax but pulling back each time, then building again but even bigger and dropping out again, teasing and frustrating, making you tense with anticipation. And when it does climax it certainly takes you by surprise not with a huge rip roaring wall of noise but subtle harmonies, drums snapping and at 3.06 an intelligent break down with an off kilter drum break that could be lifted straight from a late 60s hard rock album followed by some Abbey Road style lead guitar. It's a track that leaves you aching for more and delivers it - just as you think it's over the last 40 seconds crack in sounding like a whole different song on its own - a different and AMAZING song, again leaving you wanting more

The band prefer to record using analogue tape rather than any modern digital technology which gives it that warm, fuzzy, stoned aura that is rarely found on albums post '74. 'Trials and Tribulations' is a perfect example of this, with the inclusion of a Fender Rhodes making it reminiscent of a more experimental Cat Stevens (circa ‘Catch A Bull At Four’). There's not much to this song to say the least, just one idea repeated and enhanced, however it sucks you in and holds your interest until the very last keyboard stab.

'Faerie Dance' is next up with stoned vocals backed by subtle pedal steel and shimmering guitars but again as is the tendency for this band, the track suddenly morphs into a totally different tune with piano abuse smothered in strings swooping and gliding over and under. 'Faerie Dance' boasts more ideas than most bands have in a lifetime but still sounds cohesive. It also has a drum sound that makes you salivate and wish it was 1970 all over again. If you’re looking for a comparison then a Canadian Beta Band would be the closest but that would be doing a disservice. 'Faerie Dance' clocks in at 7.09 but feels like it's only been a short pop song. Exquisite!!

The final track 'Guru / Sinnerman' is a (bandwagon warning!!) afro beat, swaggering number but not in the same vein as Vampire Weekend, et al. No, this is an entirely different beast, one with Jazz teeth and a psychedelic tail! It's not easy listening but it pulls you in and has this reviewers fingers literally dancing over the keyboard as I type! It's not until 3 minutes in that the vocals enter the fray and introduce you to the main course of the song. This is stellar cosmic jamming with lyrics referencing the devil and rivers of blood - does it get any better? Well yes it does, as it swells, pulsates and screams to a crescendo only to lock in again and end like an afro beat Battles.

As an appetizer for the debut album this has certainly done its job. The album 'Parc Avenue' will be released later this year and if it’s even a quarter as good as this EP it will be well worth shelling out a few notes for it.

Top Tracks: 'Faerie Dance', ‘Lola Who?’.

Out now on Secret City Records