Album Review: The Auras – The Auras EP

The Auras
The Auras EP
Unsigned

It’s been a while since I’ve come across a Psychedelic Rock band imbued with the spirit of psychedelia from the ’60s. I think it’s safe to say, almost lamentably, that ostensibly contemporary music is moving away from the far-out, atmospheric aesthetic of Psychedelic Rock. Sure, bands like the Besnard Lakes and Black Mountain have their moments; some Post-rock bands capture the essence of that era’s music, but without the fantastical lyrics; and The Mars Volta are still going strong – that is if you’re in to their schizoid collection of psychedelic, Progressive Rock. But the days where psychedelic giants like Pink Floyd and The Velvet Underground were garnering substantial attention have passed on, and we are left holding on to those bands like their anachronisms from a better time, thus making the prospect of finding modern replacements for them next to impossible. I have to admit I am one of those people. But admission is the first step to recovery, and upon accomplishing that, I dove right into The Auras’ new self-titled EP.

At first, listening to The Auras EP was very refreshing because as mentioned before, I don’t get the opportunity to experience this music as much as I should. The band deftly tapped into the style, the sound, and the feel of Psychedelic Pop. Their sound is distant, experimental and nebulous, and they never stray away from the essence of the song by taking any trips down pretentious lane. All of that being said, by the fourth time I listened to the EP I started to realize just how similar their music was to the music of their influences. By the fourth listen, I couldn’t shake the thought that their music was pure mimicry. Suddenly I was hearing Pink Floyd, circa Syd Barrett, The Beach Boys, The Velvet Underground, and less of The Auras. Although the band captured the spirit of ’60s Psychedelic Rock, they didn’t manage to distinguish themselves from their influences.

Joe F.

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