After giving fans a taste of new music in late October, British R&B/soul band PREP have finally released their silky-smooth new EP, Line By Line. The quartet features singer Tom Havelock, keyboardist Llywelyn Ap Myrddin, drummer Guillaume Jambel and Grammy-nominated producer Dan Radclyffe. PREP’s four-song package is a groovy, undulating journey through the ups and downs of love.
PREP sets the tone with the bouncy “Line By Line” — an upbeat funk track peppered with shimmering synths and a fluttering flute — which features Vulfpeck's Cory Wong and Paul Jackson Jr., the man behind the legendary guitar hook at the center of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” The song’s plea with a loved one to slow things down and talk honestly shifts to jealousy in “Don’t Look Back,” the band’s previously released single. The song features a verse from popular K-pop group Monsta X's leader Shownu, who is a great admirer of PREP’s work and sought out a collaboration. Though this musical style is certainly far-removed from the hard-hitting future bass typical of Monsta X, Shownu’s luscious tenor compliments Havelock’s falsetto for the sensuous, wobbly song. Se So Neon’s So!YoON! Also provided backing vocals and guitar.
The tempo rises from here, starting with “Leaning On You,” a swinging melody accented with a punchy keyboard synths in which Havelock passionately advocates for gathering the strength to move on: “Suzie, you’re looking at open water / There’s nobody leanin’ on / There’s nobody leaning on you.” The EP rounds out with “I Can’t Answer That,” a funky dance track that lays bare all that is left unspoken between two people.
Line by Line follows PREP’s Cold Fire EP, which boasted a track featuring Korean R&B singer DEAN. PREP just began a tour in Asia, heading afterward to the U.S. for three stops.
Download Line by Line here.
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