When a band decides to name their brand new album "deviations," one would think the goal would be to deliver something musically different from the usual. Far from being out of the usual run of things, Aurganic's new EP is also missing the magic between the instrumentals and the vocals. If truth be told, the vocals are weak to a point where the tracks seem inert, but the instrumentals disguise what's not working with the vocals. There are some shining moments that make the album worth listening to, especially the tenth track, "Easy," sung by Jessica Stuart. The jazzy feel is a welcome reprieve from the verve missing in the album.
The effort, created by Michael Kossov and Leo Pisaq, is a little under an hour, and several guest vocalists appear on the track list. Perhaps this may be where the problem stems, for the duo's instrumentals are respectable. Throughout the album, there is a mixture of smooth guitar and electronic layering, saving the EP from redundancy. Unfortunately, Michael and Leo left their best for the last track where both men show how successful their music is. Overall better served by Kossov's and Pisaq's contributions, especially on tracks like, "Lucid," and, "Swells," beyond this, the album struggles from vocal fragility.
That being said, perhaps the EP can be appreciated by taking a few guesses at what may have influenced the effort. The sound can be described as nostalgic, maybe homesick for the 80s and 90s. Post-rock might have had some bearing on the EP if Aurganic had not thrown in the vocals. And tracks like, "Paradigm," and, 'The Lost and The Found," have a subtle chill-wave vibe going on minus the summertime theme. The soundscape is peppered with simple melodic lines and piano melodies -- moody and melancholic. As far as the lyrics, they have no central purpose, save for maybe a mind-body dilemma. But Deviations doesn't fit neatly into any genre; possibly it can be tagged as "experimental" in a broad sense.
The album cover may offer some help in taking in the effort. The black and white mirror image of trees conjures up the psychological Rorschach inkblot test. Different people see different things in the image. Similarly, different people may hear different sounds in Deviations. Then again, the album cover may have more to do with the play on their name, Aurganic. On the element chart, Au is the symbol for gold. But, they need to find that right voice to complement the spirit of their instrumentals before they strike gold. Perhaps, next time.
You can download the album Deviations on BandCamp.