Review Summary: This unearthly and lush debut isn't perfect, but offers great promise.
If
Allogamy is anything, it's pleasant. I don't think any other word better describes the feeling of listening to it. Even at its weakest moments, the album exhibits an extremely likable quality. Chock full of lush soundscapes and deep sonic palates, nearly every one of the six songs sounds full and warm.
Each of these tracks has both a sense of unpredictability and familiarity. Most songs ebb and flow at a pace that seems very natural. The best and most obvious example of the kaleidoscopic electronic sound on the album is the opener, "Why You." The progression on this track feels captivatingly dynamic yet almost predetermined at the same time, despite the constant changing of instrumentation and rhythm. This is at once a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it makes the entire listening experience as easy and unchallenging as possible. On the other however, well, the
Allogamy seems a little
too easy and unchallenging.
And while a significant number of these songs have exceptional flow, a couple seem just a little too repetitive for their own good. "Dew" is the main culprit here. There's nothing the instrumentation can do to save the six-minute song from sounding repetitive when it's based on little more than a irritating vocal sample that loops every four seconds. Another obvious flaw is "Why You Part II," which takes the bliss of the first track and fails to provide adequate reasoning to its return, other than capitalizing on the best song on the album even further than its original seven-minute runtime did.
But considering that this is the duo Polynation's first album, this isn't something that should be shamed. From the haunting vocals of "Swell" to the unearthly vibe of the closer "Anther", this is the sound of two talented musicians experimenting and finding their style, and one can only imagine what they'll achieve after this very promising debut.
