According to Ramon, owner of that crucible of chill, the Caf'e9 Del Mar, Afterlife have been "the sound of the summer" Y2K. It's not surprising to hear him sing their praises. Specialising in spacey strings offset by the softer-than-satin vocals of singer/writer Rachel Lloyd, the Afterlife sound is pure sea-soaked melancholy--and has no doubt proven the perfect accompaniment to a thousand Balearic tequila sunrises, sitting somewhere between wistful Morcheeba folk and Lamb's electronic tonic to modern life, Afterlife sounds like the sophisticated European cousin of that classic Bristol sound (despite the fact that the outfit hails from Manchester). Spanish guitar runs through the album like grains of sand on that Balearic beach, leading slow, dusty drum patterns on a lilting dance through some sleepy, sun-soaked town. The Bukem-esque jazz of "La Nina" and "Glide" meanwhile provides a mid-siesta wake-up call, before you are lulled back into full consciousness by the beautiful final mix of the previously heard star track "Cry". If this doesn't put a glow in the hearth of your heart to see you through those long winter nights then nothing will.