Redefining reinvention
Volcano Choir
Unmap
****1/2 out of *****
Justin Vernon locked himself away in northern Wisconsin. During the ensuing winter, he chopped wood, ate beans, and tried to make sense out of his former band DeYarmond Edison’s breakup and an ugly end to a romantic relationship.
Out of that cold emerged his successful project Bon Iver (French misspelled for “good winter”), music characterized by howling falsetto, haunting acoustics, and a whole lot of heartbreak. Vernon now returns with members of fellow Wisconsin band Collections of Colonies of Bees to form Volcano Choir — an experimental side project that reinvents traditional instrumentation and voices to explore creativity.
Volcano Choir’s début album, Unmap, wasn’t produced like typical indie folk rock. Those looking for the standard acoustic guitar driven sounds of Bon Iver may be initially taken aback. However, the record does showcase Vernon’s talent as a composer — he brings together random sounds ranging from a jack-in-the-box to a voiced growl to create his eccentric tunes. Through this exploration of new material, Volcano Choir creates curiosity. The group makes the listener work to understand what’s occurring when the sounds come together, establishing a clever connection between headphone and ear.
Even with the band’s successful foray into new territory, it does make a few mistakes. The ensemble explores interesting sound ideas as in tracks “Mbira In the Madness” and “Cool Knowledge.” But instead of creating something audibly pleasing, Volcano Choir uses those songs to focus on how far the band can push definition of music. Although these two tracks aren’t exactly pleasing to the ear, the group’s effort is commendable.
In spite of a few flaws, the album is full of beautiful moments. Vernon’s falsetto humanizes the music in a record full of foreign and somewhat disconnected sounds and acts as the essential counterpoint to the backing tracks. His voice provides a bridge between the artificial and the humane, bringing together the two worlds to showcase to ability of connection and creation.
Eric’s Picks: “Island, Is” “Husks And Shells” and “Sleepymouth”
— by Eric Sundermann
A Tasty Sip of Power Pop
The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Mika
**** out of *****
Listening to Mika’s new album is like unsealing a glass bottle of orange soda — A bubbly, nostalgic ode to the purity of power pop against today’s subgenres.
The Boy Who Knew Too Much follows Mika’s international award-winning début, Life in Cartoon Motion. The Andre Crouch Gospel Choir, famous for working with artists including Michael Jackson and Madonna, is featured in “We are Golden,” his first single on the album. This is just one of many elements on the disc that is indicative of Mika’s growth as a mainstream artist. Despite this audience expansion, the artist refuses to move forward in growth and maturity.Quite the opposite — The Boy Who Knew Too Much regresses gracefully into Mika’s adolescent years, beginning with a defiant opening track complete with radiant lyrics that evoke opportunity and the resilience of youth.
The overall tone of the album is light and playful, splicing poppy beats together with iridescent melodies. He instills an experimental pubescent theme by constantly changing his musical style, moving from bluesy jazz to a Caribbean groove. All, of course, with a power pop undertone.
Though the music is flirtatious, Mika’s lyrics are thick with meaning, creating a juxtaposition in upbeat tracks such as “Toy Boy,” where he becomes “accidentally tragic / victim of [a woman’s] black magic.” Mika differs this album from his past by experimenting instrumentally. He attributes alien-like violin plucks in “Rain” and hammed-up trombone slides in “Lover Boy.” In one of his final tracks, he blends Cinderella-like flute trills with heartbreaking lyrics, turning his rhymes into delicate playthings.
The album’s only annoyance is its beat repetition, leading to a lack of diverse sounds on the album.
Despite this, The Boy Who Knew Too Much marks Mika’s younger years as a growing, knowledgeable adolescent in a chaotic world. Overall, the album is a sensational sip of refreshingly citrus power pop.
Hanna’s picks: “We are Golden,” “Blame it on the Girls,” and “Toy Boy.”
— by Hanna Rosman
Yoko Ono redefines ‘experimental‘
Between My Head and the Sky
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
*** 1/2 out of *****
Yoko Ono began her career in the 1960s as a controversial figure in both the music world and the public arena. Her avant-garde attitude and style of music have left plenty scratching their heads and just as many begging for more. Four decades later, at 76 years old, Ono still manages to do just that with her latest album, Between My Head and the Sky.
Backed by the Plastic Ono Band, which now includes her son, Sean Lennon, Ono is able to take the listener into a trance-like state through dreamy musical mysticism. The Plastic Ono Band also gives Ono the solid sound she needs for up-tempo rock tracks such as “Waiting For the D Train.”
Often criticized and mocked for her occasionally piercing tone, Ono’s vocal technique is all part of her musical approach. Although very different from a typical pop sound, her voice complements the unconventional variety of tunes that underlie it. A prime example is “The Sun is Down!,” a song that gives Ono the chance to express a punchy, almost cheeky feel in her vocals (a far cry from other tracks on the album that give way to her signature wail).
Experimentation is the one element that can completely define Ono’s new work. Between My Head and the Sky offers the listener several varieties of musical stylings. From the urban sounds of “Ask the Elephant” to the almost tribal instrumentation of “Moving Mountains” and “Healing,” it seems there is very little Ono is afraid to touch. Eccentricity aside, she clearly pours all her feelings out into this entire album with her poignant lyrical delivery.
It should suffice to say that her works are rather off-the-cuff. While this album may not suit the palate of the mainstream, listeners owe it to themselves to at least have one taste.
Rebecca’s Picks: “Memory of Footsteps,” “Between My Head and the Sky,” “I’m Going Away Smiling”
— by Rebecca Koons
