You know that an album is serious when the words duality and causality appear in the lyrics of the first song and, indeed, “Absence” by Cagri Raydemir turns out to be a serious album with all frivolous thoughts being thoroughly banished by the end of these four songs.
Cagri Raydemir’s words certainly stand up to scrutiny and they have a consistency that contrasts with the curiously episodic music that accompanies them. Nothing really seems to flow, and while perhaps that is the plan in stylistic terms, the segments of each song often behave as if they were strangers. His guitar does, however, provide some similar sonic signatures that often find themselves written into each of these songs yet the end result engenders verisimilitude rather than commonality of purpose, but I suppose that is to be expected when alt-rock goes for substance over style.
So, “Absence” is serious in content and Cagri Raydemir clearly has a point to make. However, making it through these four songs requires a degree of persistence that many listeners will not possess but, for those who enjoy such things, there is resonance to be found.