by Aaron Latham
On their previous two discs, guitarists Mario Otero and Stefan Schyga performed together, but the songwriting was an individual effort. Forgotten Romance finds the duo collaborating for the first time on all compositions in an attempt to become a more cohesive unit. The experiment works on most levels and the disc as a whole has a seamless sound and feel from beginning to end; yet the spark ignited on their previous album, Night Dance, seems to have faded. There is little variety on this romance-themed disc and most songs tend to lean toward a more traditional flavor than the world fusion heard on previous outings. It is all a little too polite and laid-back, as if Otero and Schyga squashed their individualism to simply write without conflict; yet their masterful playing still shines though on a disc that provides a nice backdrop for romantic times.