The New Music

Volcano Choir Unmap [Jagjaguwar]

Last year Justin Vernon went from unknown singer-songwriter making bedroom recordings in the backwoods to signing with esteemed indie label Jagjaguwar (4AD in Europe) and releasing one of 2008’s most revered albums, For Emma, Forever Ago.

This year he’s become even harder to miss, thanks to countless use of his music on TV and film (yep, he’s got a song on the New Moon soundtrack). But instead of capitalizing on his solo success, Vernon has rejoined an old band that pre-dates Bon Iver.

Volcano Choir is a collaboration between Vernon and the guys in Collections of Colonies of Bees. Unmap was recorded late last year and demonstrates how Vernon’s intimate expression extends itself into a much more spacious environment. While this is a band at work, it’s hard to argue that Vernon hasn’t patented his own style, which has a certain influence over the album, but not a dominant one.

“Still,” for instance, brings in the unexpected autotuning we heard on this year’s Blood Bank EP, and “Dote,” a sprawling instrumental built of ambient drones and haunting whispers, still maintains that rustic charm of Bon Iver.

But Volcano Choir are more interested in exploring sonic possibilities without using the usual songwriting template.

“Island, IS” is an ambitious bit of avant-pop, reminiscent of the fluttering keyboards and drum loops heard in My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” and “Seeplymouth” slips in some jazzy time-keeping to help it escalates into a climactic free jam. But it’s “Mbira In The Morass” that finds them drifting into a more shapeless type of elastic improvisation instead of full-on song structure.

Unmap offers plenty for those who fell under the spell of For Emma, Forever Ago, but also a different, less linear take by one of independent music’s rising stars.

Rating: B+

- Cam Lindsay