DOS MUNDOS

Following in the same path as its solid predecessor 'Patrimonio', 'Dos Mundos' turns out to dig deeper into Tryo's electric/acoustic duality with their usual level of skill but a major level of compositional inspiration and arranging inventiveness. While not stopping to be a pretty sophisticated band, the guys of Tryo seem determined to work out the sense of subtlety at places, dealing with simple riffs and chord progressions in some numbers; but instead of making themselves more commercial or "poppish", they just intend to explore a different way of musical challenge for the listener while maintaining a crystal clear link to their own sound. In fact, I regard 'Dos Mundos' as their best recording so far (though I admit that I'm a devoted fan of their energetic prog offering, so maybe I'm not that objective.) - the title track and 'Ventana I' are two perfect examples of how a rock number can display its own inherent energy if it is framed under a moderate use of complexity, in order to allow it to breathe more fluidly. 'Bloques' kicks off the album in a very Zeppelinesque manner, while 'Espacios' is firmly rooted in that Crimsonian-jazzy style that they know and renew so well: later on, this same Crimsonian-jazzy stuff will reappear in the dense, slow tempo 'Esperando'. Another thing that they know so well is the "formula" to make the acoustic guitar (either classical or steel stringed) and the cello interplay with emotional density and immaculate proficiency, complementing them with soft touches of orchestral and ethnic percussion. That is properly shown in the reflective 'Vértigo', the introspective 'Crepúsculo', and the bossanova-tinged 'Travesía'. The same introspective drive is reflected on the jazzy 'Ventana II', which makes me think of a pub in the twilight before dawn. The seven-minute track 'Vive' (the only one with vocals in it) closes up the album with an air of existentialist meditation, built upon an instrumental mixture of modern psychedelia and pop rock: as easy going as it may sound, actually it helps the musicians to enjoy some of the peace of mind that had been held back throughout a repertoire as varied as this. My general balance: this is a prog classic of our times, and an absolute gem of Latin American prog, as well - 4.5 stars.

(Review dedicated to my Chilean brother Juan Barrenechea)