Volcano Choir, Justin Vernon’s collaborative project with state-mates Collections Of Colonies Of Bees, introduced itself with the striking “Island, IS,” a track we noted “released Vernon’s falsetto from its plaintively strummed trappings, pairing it instead with a hypnotic world of COCOB’s loops, synths, percussion, aural ephemera.” Still, as a first shot from the “experimental” project, it read first and foremost as a “song.” Opposite that is the album-closing “Youlogy,” a freer flowing piece that’s considerably airier, minimal, and less structured. Its neologistic punnery is apt: Vernon delivers displaced-gospel vocals while Collections’ craft dissonant ambiance and scattered banjo plucks into something haunted and ethereal. File under: Music for cemeteries. Hear it at NPR.
Volcano Choir’s Unmap LP is out 9/22 via Jagjaguwar.
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Does that Banjo’s head look exceptionally big?
Does that comment sound unnervingly sexual?
smooth… very quiet… looking fwd to the full album which should create a good atmosphere
Indeed. You need the rest of the album to hang this on. Gorgeous though.
thumbs up! : )
why won’t this just leak already?
sounds like these wisconsin kids are channeling death+soul+angels.
banjo heads can be many different sizes. the larger the head, the deeper the twang.
the banjo head is larger than normal. Gets a deeper tone. No bluegrass here.