Ed Vallance - Volcano

Ed Vallance’s ‘Volcano’ has a distinctly British bop and contains upliftingly anthemic melodies that reach for the sky. The production polishes every single sound to shine like gold, and at times, almost dangerously close to the point of sterility.

Take ‘Black & White Light’. At first it sounds similar to a Keane song. Its melody moves for the sake of moving without actually taking you anywhere. However, at any other time, the song’s bubbling guitar progressions have quite a giddying effect. ‘Cowboys & Indians’ is another example of a song that could underwhelm and delight you in equal measure. Just when you think you’ve understood the song and where it’s going, you’re compelled to keep listening. Explaining that phenomena in any more detail is a futile exercise because it is a reaction that is strictly visceral and defies logical reasoning. In these parts, ‘Volcano’ is a bit of a confounding listen because you feel like the songs only resonate when you’re in the right place – it won’t go to great lengths to pull you in regardless of how you’re feeling.

However, this is not to say that every song on ‘Volcano’ is so fickle. ‘Crystalline’ opens the album to a satisfyingly upbeat start. The pop-rock chorus sparkles like its titular subject matter. ‘Seabird’ continues this momentum with beautifully romantic strings that erupt over the whole song to a lovely effect. ‘Into the Forest Fire’ is another one of the stronger cuts, interspersed with instrumental flourishes in the right places that glow like embers. It’s on these songs that Vallance really nails it.

On balance, ‘Volcano’ is a solid, well-executed pop-rock album. It has been put together very nicely and there are some genuinely great moments. However, if you’re not in the mood for shiny and only slightly-indie rock, you might miss any of the charm that it has hidden throughout.