Volcano! – So Many Lemons
A band that is as likely to confound as they are to charm, Volcano! are an outstanding live proposition, though, they take some getting used to on record. Perhaps it is the fact that in concert you can actually view how they pull it all off as ‘So Many Lemons’ will attest, their music has so much going on through it, it’s difficult to comprehend how they perform such compositions. It requires a degree of work from the listener to fully gauge, but it’s worth such efforts.
From Sam Scranton’s impeccably-timed Keith Moon-like percussion, the buzzsaw electronics, thudding dubby bass and Aron With’s manic falsetto and intricate, calypso guitar lines, this track ages superbly and repeated listens pays dividends, offering up subtle hook atop subtle hook.
Also on this single is a duo of remixes. “Slow Jam” (from previous LP ‘Paperwork’) is re-worked by Vessels’ Lee J. Malcolm, which he peppers with infectious little sounds and melodies along with rolling beats. He Can Jog, meanwhile, reforms previous single “Africa Just Wants To Have Fun’ into a demented mélange of whirs, clicks and staggered beats, while skillfully deploying With’s vocals – which is an impressive feat given how arbitrarily timed they are on the original. A striking end to a neat little package. Please be sure to catch Volcano! live, though, they’re a revelation.