A Montreal live fixture for years, the first on Secret City for P&A takes the form of a surprisingly substantial four-song, 25-minute EP. With/Avec is the kind of release that could achieve what bands always hope for with an EP--an appetite whetter that never fully satisfies, bringing anticipation to fever pitch for their 2008 full-length. The ingredients are certainly there: Plants and Animals play highly malleable music, a tender blend of whispered-folk and high melancholic drama. A closing cover of Nina Simone showstopper "Sinnerman" is a bit of a tougher sell for three white guys, but hey, they almost pull it off.