More choral than volcanic, Volcano Choir finds the Milwaukee-based experimental band Collections of Colonies of Bees collaborating with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. The resulting group's odd, spliced-and-diced instrumental pastiches aren't exactly linear, but the presence of Vernon's voice — often layered to create the aforementioned choral effect — lends warmth and heft to Volcano Choir's debut album, Unmap.
Of all the lovely strangeness on Unmap, its songs are never sweeter than the album-closing "Youlogy." Even if Volcano Choir isn't consciously channeling Jeff Buckley's "You & I," the track feels like a worthy sequel to that atmospheric gem, not to mention a rich reminder of just how sweetly angelic Vernon's voice can be. With Collections of Colonies of Bees providing minimal accompaniment — a bit of shimmering guitar here, a few plucked banjo strings there — Vernon is left to paint a mysterious but compelling picture, making vague references to devotion when he's not just cooing alluringly.
Vernon's breakthrough album with Bon Iver, last year's For Emma, Forever Ago, is viscerally emotional; it's a blood-and-guts record. Here, Vernon shows off a side that qualifies as the opposite of that: ethereal, mysterious, hard to pin down. Of everything he and his co-conspirators accomplish on Unmap — and especially in "Youlogy" — what stands out most is an unmistakable ability to surprise.
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