Volcano Choir
I was surprised to hear Justin Vernon’s husky sighs coming through the airwaves as I pressed play on the debut album from Volcano Choir. I assumed he was off in his cabin collecting his thoughts of lost love once more, but the man has moved mountains instead with this new collaboration.
Volcano Choir, the melodic band of merry men consist of Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Jim Schoenecker, Daniel Spack, Justin Vernon, and Thomas Wincek, working on an off together since before the Bon Iver explosion.
Unmap is the debut album released by Jagjaguwar, a label who have released artists such as Ladyhawk, Bon Iver and Julie Doiron.
This studio collaboration contains Bon Iver and Collections of Colonies of Bees, with writing dating back to 2005 when they were all touring with DeYarmond Edison, Justin Vernon’s first band.
The songs remind me of lying in the grass, watching clouds go pass in times of old. There is something quite tribal about their style, stripping away the metropolis of noise outside- you can escape into their dream like land.
Their sound is utterly buttery, melting through your headphones. It obviously has the essence of the Bon Iver wailings, with Justin Vernon’s vocal layered and spread thickly over the solid drums and guitar loops and builds. But it has a greater humor that the Bon Iver project lacked, probably something to do with that awful break up with the girlfriend!
But these Wisconsin boys have taken their music to the next level. Track five, And Gather wafts through time and style, sounding almost improvised. It does lack structure, building loops of vocals and guitar and hang claps, but it feels more like an interlude.
Then they hit back with Still which was included on Bon Iver’s EP, Blood Bank in which the song was entitled Woods. I know, it does get all very confusing. But the execution of Still, track six, which gives shivers even to the most hardened of skin.
And the last song, Youlagy, gives you a feeling that Jeff Buckely has risen from his watery grave, with broken down vocals and industrial backing.
Overall this fine album takes you on a journey that gives forth to magic and a justified melancholy. It does lack rigid structure, but stick with. It will take away the sharpness of the winter to come and accompany you into the New Year with grace.
Aquila Dunford Wood