Brightest Young Things

all words and photos: Mitchell London

Shortly after discovering music at age 17, I began to discuss it with close relations. I discussed the relative drumming merits of Ringo Starr with my father. I discussed the synth solo of "Roundabout" with the guy in my high school that wore exclusively denim and refused to tame his mustache. I discussed - in depth - the dichotomy of orchestral strings and manic street preaching in Godspeed! You Black Emperor's Lift Yr Skinny Fists... with Carl, the guy at the record store who gave me promo discs in return for coffee. Early in my discussion career, I noticed that one equation surfaced in almost every conversation about music. A Cartesian cogito of rock snobbery. If you're reading this website, you know it too:

Band x + Band y = Band z

Some examples:

Beatles + Radiohead = Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Era Wilco
Joy Division + Jesus and the Mary Chain = Interpol
Fuel + Eve 6 = Creed / Nickelback x Audioslave = Please make the hurting stop

All of the reviews I have read of Pree so far have been bastardizations of this immutable equation. Here are some that I've heard:

Modest Mouse + Feist
Regina Spector + Neutral Milk Hotel
Joanna Newsom + Smog
Daft Punk + Jandek

Ok, I made that last one up. But you get the point: interesting vocalist + expansive, yet controlled musical arrangement = PREE! It's that simple! Except it's not. Pree offers more than what this overly simplified method has to offer. In regards to Pree, I am ready to dismiss this formula, and substitute it with an equally simplistic, but - I think - more fitting analogy.

Pree is a damn good turkey sandwich.

I'm not talking about a turkey sandwich that you pick up over a Wal-Mart deli counter or a turkey sandwich that your mom constructs for your lunch bag with cold cuts and manufactured cheese. I'm talking about a post-Thanksgiving, fully fixed up - fresh tomatoes, homemade mayo, perhaps a piece of bacon, hall-of-fame caliber turkey sandwich on freshly baked bread. I'm talking about the turkey sandwich that inspires you, after bite one, to hold it out at arm's length, examine it, and proclaim "This is the best damn turkey sandwich I've ever made."

Pree has all of its ingredients firmly in place. May's iron-solid voice anchors the set, and her songwriting strikes you as both effortless and engaging. The rhythm is consistently tight, and the atmospheric guitar, like perfectly selected gourmet dijon mustard, sets the tone for each song. Like any professional-grade sandwich, they even have some tricks up their sleeves - turkey sandwiches taste a little better with a hint of basil, and glockenspiels always sound a little better with a hint of reverse delay.

But Pree also shares the limitations of the turkey sandwich. They are not - like your more exotic cuisines - prone to dazzling you with angular rhythms or explosive sonic dynamics. They lack the peaks and valleys of a tender steak or the excitement of a west African dish. They eschew orchestral swell and release. When you reach for the Sriracha sauce, Pree says "hang on there, buster" and hands you some delicious pesto mayo instead.

But on a mid-January Tuesday night, in the beautifully lit Kennedy Center, surrounded by supporters and close friends, Pree was right. I didn't want the Sriracha. The expertly made turkey sandwich hit the spot.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/14: LiveDC: Sharon Van Etten/ Shearwater @ Black Cat
• 2/14: LiveDC: Die Antwoord @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: George Clinton & The Parliament-Funkadelic @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: Veronica Falls/ Brilliant Colors @ Black Cat
• 2/13: LIVE DC: Steve Aoki/ Datsik/ Alvin Risk @ Fillmore
• 2/13: LiveDC: The Darkness @ 930 Club
• 2/9: LiveDC: Theophilus London @ 930 Club
• 2/9: Best Weekend Bets
• 2/8: LiveDC: Kathleen Edwards @ 930 Club
• 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat