There are times when, listening to a song, another band pops into your head. And it’s inappropriate. You couldn’t imagine going up to the the songwriter and saying “Hey, you know that song you wrote, about the death of your parents in a tragic mud-wrestling accident, it really reminds me of “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”!). Just not the done thing.
The other day I was stuck for what to listen to in the morning, and I decided on Volcano Choir. I got this when it first came out some months back but never really listened to it that much, so giving it another try seemed like the fair thing to do. Being the side project of legendary miseryguts Justin Vernon (“My missus dumped me so I’m off to a shack in the woods to kill deer!”), I thought it would be a bit of a sorry listen. But it’s nice; the record is quite pleasant. And about halfway through “Islands, IS” I thought to myself “This sounds like Coldplay!”.
Coldplay, I ask you. But listen again:
That bit at the start where he goes “To The Sky”, is just pure Chris Martin, singing on Faultline’s great “Where Is My Boy”. This is, as the phrase goes, A Good Thing. Both are lovely, rich songs chock full of lovely textures with singing just the right side of lazily mournful. Perfect for a Sunday morning, I think you’ll agree. I’m just not 100% sure Justin Vernon would want the comparison. Ah, who cares. If he didn’t agree with me, he’d get upset and trot off to the polar icecap for a while to subsist on seal blubber. Then make a record about it.
MP3: Island, IS by Volcano Choir
MP3: Where Is My Boy by Faultline (feat. Chris Martin)
Loft And Lost 