Dixie Chick sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison are carrying on with Natalie Maines—for the time being at least—and now we finally get to listen to some of their new material as Court Yard Hounds.

Fear not, Chicks fans—for the pair insist that the trio have not broken up. Still, Maguire recently told Rolling Stone, “Emily and I had the itch, and every time we’d call Natalie and say ‘are you ready?’ she wasn’t ready. She wanted a clear-cut break.”

So how do Court Yard Hounds’ tunes—like “The Coast” (listen below)—stack up against the music of DC? Find out after the jump.

Not too shabby. And not entirely different, musically, from Dixie Chicks. But we have to admit that this just makes us yearn for the familiar comfort of Natalie Maines’ voice. In fact…

Ah, that feels much better. Court Yard Dogs’ self-titled album is due out in May, and those who pre-order on the duo’s official site are offered four of the LP’s tracks for immediate download.