Volcano Choir Island, Is

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has a side project! Judging by the sound of their soon-to-be-released album Unmap, Volcano Choir brings a fuller, more enjoyable sound to what was an already original and interesting setup by Bon Iver. Though Vernon carries the vocals throughout the album, he is joined by Collections of Colonies of Bees, a group of fellow-Wisconsinites with whom he began collaborating about three years back, before Bon Iver somewhat unexpectedly blew the indie-folk scene apart.

It's hard to review this band's album without talking about vernon. iIreally have to say that the single (listed above) from this album is somewhat deceiving. I was expecting to hear a similar sound throughout, but for the most part, the album remains relatively slow-paced and somewhat eerie. It's much more in line with the familiar Bon Iver sound, only this time there's an experimental back-up band, bringing an oh-so-welcome sound to Vernon's package. Though I'm certain it'll keep me entertained a while longer than Bon Iver's releases have, I wish they had forged a bit more of their own sound through the album, rather than falling back on vernon's already-successful formula.

While entirely a studio record, the collection doesn't suffer from the overburdens of a digital pile up or over-thinking. Rather it breathes and convulses in equal measure, radiating an inherent dynamism found only in the voluntary bondage of intimacy. With influences ranging from David Sylvian and Steve Reich to Mahalia Jackson and Tom Waits, it might be more accurate to say the group's influence is music itself. You can hear it in the care and real love generously applied to each moment of 'Unmap'. With the vibe of some intimate backwoods gospel, plus a spirit of patience and thoughtful repetition, the music of Volcano Choir is as dynamic as it is lovely. - recordstore.co.uk