Parc Avenue can take a madman and turn him into a calm child again. The loving spirit of Montreal’s Plants and Animals shines through at every track with their yesteryear folk, so much so that when it is heard it is uncommonly natural to like it.

Warren Spicer’s ability to harness the most fitting vocals at the right time certainly aids the group’s effort, but at no one place in the album does he alone stick out. With drummer Matthew Woodley and guitarist/backup vocalist Nicolas Basque embedded in every song, Spicer always has a backdrop abundant in sweet melodies. “New Kind of Love” fits this bill as Spicer occasionally gets his solo but this quickly turns to Basque chiming right along with him while the riffs on the guitar rise and fall and the drums batter away to match the energy.

Their newest effort, Parc Avenue, is up for several awards, including the Polaris Prize. Both the band and the album are up for Quebec’s coveted GAMIQ awards in the Artist of Year, International Career of the Year and Indie Rock Album of Years categories. Plants and Animals are also up for the inaugural Verge Music Awards in the Album and Artist of the Year categories. Click on the links and vote!

Plants and Animals recently toured across North America in early and mid May before heading to Europe late in the month and back to the States for most of June. They have been hiking throughout Canada’s festival scene for the past few months and currently only have a few shows scheduled. Tour dates below the MP3s.

MP3: Plants and Animals – Faerie Dance (buy)
MP3: Plants and Animals – Feedback in the Field (buy)

8/29 Quebec City, Quebec
8/30 Abitibi, Quebec

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