NEST

The female-fronted, Los Angeles band Nest released their self-titled debut EP back in December. They list Frou Frou and Goldfrapp amongst their influences, and the former seems especially fitting, what with their subtle and moody musical backdrops serving to spotlight singer Ayana's highly evocative voice.

I actually hear quite a lot of Dar Williams and Sarah McLachlan in that voice, but Sarah-haters shouldn't think that Nest plays that particular brand of adult-contemporary, sleepy-time Muzak (though they may compare somewhat to her pre-Lilith Fair material... Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, perhaps).

Regardless, Nest are already starting to carve out an audience around the L.A. area at small clubs and on local radio, and they will be interesting to track as their sound continues to develop. I, for one, would love to hear them amp up the arrangements a bit - making them a bit more grandiose and dramatic to fit their Goldfrappian inclinations. With Ayana's already top-tier voice, that might just make for the perfect mix.

If you like the songs posted below, you can purchase Nest's EP from their website. You can also hear more samples of their music on their myspace page [here].

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Part of You" [from their self-titled EP, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Ultraviolet" [from their self-titled EP, 2005]