Not wishing to take anyone’s side, the only observation that can be made is that perhaps it would have been better if Negru, like his ex-companions who after the split gave birth to Dordeduh, had also chosen to use a different name for his current project, all the more so now that he has once again revolutionised the line-up compared to Poartă de Dincolo; after all, the quality of the music expressed is in any case undeniable and, otherwise, maintaining an already established monicker would not have served to cover up any flaws. But there you have it, Negură Bunget, as an anticipation of their second album in the ‘mark II’ version, release this enchanting 7″, which, in line with the trends already manifested in their most recent releases, consists of ambient folk with an ancestral flavour and which bears the imprint of their geographical origin. Currerea Muntelui and Taul Fara Fund are two rather short tracks in deference to the chosen format, which only increases the desire to hear new compositions as soon as possible; while the first of the two has a more traditional song structure and proves to be a majestic and moving episode, with the beautiful voice of Tibor Kati declaiming the usual lyrics in his mother tongue lying on a carpet of keyboards and wind instruments, the second is a successful example of ambient with a strong ethnic component, where a choral litany becomes one with Petrica Ionutescu’s flute. The magnificence of Om is a distant memory, an impractical and even unfair comparison, and the only way to fully appreciate the ten minutes of music contained in Gînd a-prins is to get rid of the cumbersome prejudice that may derive from the band’s name printed on the cover.

2013 – Lupus Lounge / Prophecy Productions