Volcano!

Chicago’s Volcano! are the conspicuous new addition to the Leaf label’s usually sedate stable of acts. It’s encouraging though that as an outsider among Leaf’s generally mellow cabal, this trio weren’t signed solely because they sound different. They’re able to back it up by focusing their free jazz and avant backgrounds into a concise, coherent form. With Paperwork, this bunch have sculpted an arresting structure, a lattice of fluid, ever-morphing guitar lines that buzz around a darting rhythm section. At times, the action gets so frenzied that the whole colossus threatens to fall apart in an overly busy, sprawling mess. But as tracks like the joyous "Africa Just Wants to Have Fun” demonstrate, singer Aaron With’s Longstreth-ian croon, replete with occasional slips into Spanish, is always present to string ambrosia-sweet melodies across the tribal cacophony. You’re welcome.