-C-

Released the very same year as III OF DREAMERS, Nurkostam's second attempt at an EP in -C- sees the band regress back to the trappings of their debut EP. The whole EP sounds like a bunch of tracks that were left over from the album proper sessions.

The predominant style that I can pick up on is dreamy indie pop rock with jazz and prog undertones. I listened to this album first overall, but since I've gotten a chronological order to the band's work, I'm more confused than ever before with -C-. III OF DREAMERS showcased a slight potential that Nurkostam might have in prog rock; -C- sounds like an about face with none of the great soundscapes from the proper album. The EP really lacks dynamic performances, and that is a huge disappointment. It's as if the band wanted to play it safe here; there's no risk taking in the music, and that saps the fun out of enjoying this.

I've mentioned before that this was the first thing I've heard from the group. One good thing to do when making an album is not to confuse the listener right away, and that's exactly what happened to me when I first heard ''The Pearl Song''. I really can't describe how this song functions in a musical context, so let me try put my mental visual into writing. The moment I first heard this song, I thought I was watching the menu screen to an NBA game on Super Nintendo. Nurkostam has this habit of tacking an instrumental song at the beginning of their albums, but ''The Pearl Song'' disrupted the fragile nature of the EP before it really began.

It's disappointing when one bad decision buzzkills an entire EP experience. I might be harsh, but the way -C- presents itself, it's hardly recommendable.