Montreal trio Plants and Animals headed to Boston last night for a five stop East Coast run. Following a brief tour with Wolf Parade last year, they came out with an astounding EP on Secret City (home of Patrick Watson and Miracle Fortress) called With/Avec. The EP only has four songs, but can almost count as a full length record—the songs are that powerful.

For the EP, the band flawlessly melds organic acoustic introspections with hints of classic rock guitar, forceful string arrangements, and serene vocal harmonies. Possibly the best song is “Faerie Dance”—which at first can be mistaken as a breathy Will Oldham tune that quickly turns into a symphonic chorus of infectious vocals and dizzy violins.

Keep an eye out for Parc Avenue, due out in the states March 25. The band is said to have gone in an entirely new direction with the album, spending over two years reworking their signature acoustic rock into an “epic-rock-pop-soul-train” sound.

According to Iceland Airwaves website, the new record includes several interesting guests like Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire), country songbird Katie Moore, the Ideal Lovers, a moonlighting cheerleading squad, a ringer horn section, and a family choir.

Can’t wait to hear it; but in the meantime, you can check out the new songs at any of their east coast shows this week.

Tour Dates:

Jan 29 - Middle East / Boston
Jan 31 - 8X10 / Baltimore
Feb 1 - Music Hall of Williamsburg / Brooklyn
Feb 2 -Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Feb 3 - Mercury Lounge / NYC