When first listening to this session, I closed my eyes and let the music of Pree take me somewhere. Through doing so, I found myself in two places simultaneously. The first place was in an old wooden boat sailing away from the coast of Ireland, the waves gently bouncing the boat and the wind whipping my hair. There’s something about a steady snare beat and flute that takes me to Ireland. I have no idea why. Hopefully, you can relate in some way. The second place was in a city on a grey, rainy day, and I was the protagonist in a sentimental indie film. I think this is a more reasonable place for people to go when listening to Pree. They have that distinct sound that is original yet, expected for an indie film – strong, feminine vocals; mellow guitar playing; echoing drums; a third party instrument – and it manages to pick out a previously unknown part of your psyche and hold it up for you to look at. Or maybe that’s just me again…

Hailing from the less-polarized, more-creative pocket of Washington D.C., Pree takes on a whole new shape at the Cockpit for this LaundroMatinee session. “Light Fails” and “Speak Warmly,” both which appear their 2009 release A Chopping Block, have entirely different textures here than on record, and I honestly don’t know which versions I enjoy more. On record, the songs are more refined, obviously, and the bass has a stronger presence, making the overall sound more soothing. In the Cockpit, however, the songs contain far more percussion as well as the unique and ever so appropriate timbre of the flute on “Light Fails.” I wouldn’t go so far as to call Pree “rock,” but their light, upbeat folk sound definitely develops a strong accent to it when the drums come in. Regardless of how the music is performed, it has the ability to take me somewhere.

Recorded and Mixed by Jeff DuPont
Filmed and Edited by Doug Fellegy
Written by Gerard Pannekoek

MP3 Downloads
Pree - Light Fails
Pree - Speak Warmly