September 16th, 2013 
Brian Leak 
Artist: Aurganic
Album: Deviations
Genre: Experimental, Rock, Electronic
It’s difficult to confine Aurganic to one specific genre. The closest you could get is to tag them with the broad description of ‘experimental rock’ which could ultimately encompass a myriad of sounds and styles. On their new album, Deviations, this duo aims to explore the boundaries of many rock sub-genres and the intersections between them. Piano-driven melodies, soaring guitar in post-rock soundscapes, and electronic layers are just a few of the charted territories on the aptly titled Deviations.
Instrumentally, this album has a lot going for it up and down the tracklist with unique structuring and tonal transitions but one major aspect of inconsistency that ultimately damages its overall appeal is the vocals. This is due mainly in part to the duo relying on multiple guest vocal contributions throughout the effort, which by and large are rather monotonous, giving the album an overlying tedious tone — and clocking in at nearly an hour total between 12 tracks certainly doesn’t help that notion. Tracks like “Paradigm” in particular urge me to feel that some of this album would have been better suited being solely instrumental as it begins with an excellent chillwave math-rock intro that is quickly disrupted by the unfitting vocals of Joel Goguen. However, there are certainly moments with vocals intact that redeem Deviations from being more disappointing than not.
Immediately upon entering the third track, “Lucid,” –the first sans guest vocals– you discover that Aurganic can manage perfectly well on their own with the vocals of Michael Kossov. Melding pretty ambience with some clean guitar and glitchy electronic work, the two deliver a capable track, that while somewhat redundant is still one of the better portions of the album.
The fifth song, “The Lost and the Found,” is a beautifully ethereal piece featuring Scott Carruthers, who is featured on two other tracks as well. This is four and a half minutes where the vocals fit and frankly are very welcomed for the most part. Again, it may very well have been better as an instrumental but Carruthers’ vocals don’t truly ruin what it has going for it. It plays like a dramatic Reign Of Kindo track minus the more prominent jazz influences.
Furthermore, “Swells” with an almost Incubus-like sound, vocally and musically is one of the strongest moments of the album, closely matched by the 10th track, “Easy,” which adds further variation with the addition of a female vocalist. Jessica Stuart adds some soul to the record further distracting from the weaker vocal work earlier in the effort.
“In Deep Waters” is another solid offering that finds the pair on their own. It’s a tad too long and really dreary but the instrumentation, again, would be wonderful isolated. Some vocals parts are perfect while others tend to drag it down. This is one example that showcases both members being very capable musicians with their use of various instruments.
It’s not until the final track, “Deviations,” that we finally experience a true instrumental effort. Driven by melancholic piano vibes and buzzsaw synths that add to the drama, the title track ends the album on a slow-burning piece that erupts with whining guitars towards its end before fading to a close.
Deviations has potential oozing from many areas but it flows more like a brainstorming session than a cohesive album. While some parts of experimentation work in its favor, many lead me to believe that the band hasn’t quite found the direction they wish to take their sound. If Kossov and Pisaq focus more on connection and explore more vocal options, I’d be really interested to hear some results. Deviations isn’t a bad album, it’s just a lengthy and inconsistent one that makes it a chore to find the parts worth listening to.
SCORE: 6.5/10
Review written by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter
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