New Artist: Pree

Pree is a new indie rock project featuring DC artist May Tabol, who previously toured with Le Loup. She and a shifting group of musicians collaborated to bring about the band's debut EP, A Chopping Block, which will be released next week. While only providing backing vocals for Le Loup, Tabol brings her slightly rough, yet charming voice and quirky songwriting center stage for Pree, with her band filling out the songs with a earthy mix of guitars, percussion, and strings. The results are excellent throughout the five tracks, making Pree a band we should all be keeping our eyes on.

Opener "Heaven is a Drag" keeps things light with limited percussion, slide guitar, and some woodwinds, allowing Tabol's vocals (at times reminscent of Joanna Newsom or folk newcomer Julia Stone) the perfect setting. The next tune, "In the Parlor" and the fantastic closer, "Speak Warmly," follow suit stylistically with a similar guitar-based, folk-rock stomp. The remaining tracks, my personal favorite "Lack of Flight" and the gentle "Light Fails" feature a more piano-heavy approach that generally eschews drums for hints of strings and well-placed backing vocals.

You can download the track "In the Parlor" below, or check out the band's MySpace page to hear a few more tunes.

In the Parlor (MP3)