Costin Chioreanu & Sofia Sarri – Afterlife Romance

“Afterlife Romance” by the skilled duo that is Costin Chioreanu and Sofia Sarri is an unusual albeit interesting release that falls somewhere between pulsating goth rock and avantgarde music. In many ways, it sounds as if Costin and Sofia are as inspired by The Cure and Bauhaus as they are by Arcturus’ “La Masquerade Infernale” and Tom Waits’ more experimental compositions and collages, which is to say that multiple sources of inspiration from various different eras and styles of music are in play here.

Moody soundscapes colored by subtle nuances and dark textures that are somewhat reminiscent of the musical territories inhabited by composer Angelo Badalamenti when he is at his most sinister and jazz-like (think the “Twin Peaks” soundtrack) as well as those of the wildly experimental and unpredictable geniuses that are Sigh also enter the frame. Eclectic in style and cinematic in scope, this record is both tinged with a sense of darkly romantic longing and steeped in something truly unsettling, which is nicely illustrated by the enchanting “The Gardenian Night Shift” and the proggy yet hugely eerie “Dance on the Clouds Floor”. Not every piece works and some break the flow and momentum of the LP rather than add to its rich and haunting atmosphere, but patient listeners with a hankering for experimental soundtracks and solid female vocals will most likely be rewarded if they put some time and effort into absorbing this one. It is warm and analogue-sounding, and listening to it definitely conjures up a sense of a lonely walk through a graveyard late at night.

“Afterlife Romance” is passionate but not pompous, and even though it could have come across as a tad more tense and bigger sounding in places so as to be even more effective and overwhelming, it does work like a magic spell of sorts.

https://costinchioreanu.bandcamp.com/album/afterlife-romance