ALMA

The curtain opens up, and a beautiful layer of synthesizer advances the main lines of the vocal melody to come. Hovering on that promissory terrain, Carlos Lucena's electric guitar punctuates the crystalline mood with light, sensible touch, just rippling the emotional surface and giving way to the beautiful voice of Roxana Truccolo, mounted now on acoustic lines and an efficiently restrained rhythm section. Having said that, I still haven't plotted the course followed by this album, maybe because it doesn't just stay ballancing on the same ambiance all the way through. More likely, this is the kind of album that begins with an external front of neo prog symphonic gallantry and then goes deeper and deeper to the inner core of emotion nested in the midway musical events. Which are the stations visited in the journey?

Track 2, Duende, is a sweet Renaissance styled duet for mandolin and harpsichord, diving in an "other time, other place" feeling, and signaling the departure. Track 3 is a cover from Leonor Marchesi's No Confíes that gets long way better here and sets the unresting mood to prevail from there on.

Track 4, Antes Del Dia, is a beautiful song with terrific fills and soloing by Lucena, reasuring the voyager's will. Track 5, Detener El Tiempo, is one of those moments of strange beauty that you need to hear, if you want to grasp.

Track 6, Exilio, elaborates on an Eastern Europe-flavored motif with plenty of air for the voice and great guitar fills binding the verses.

Track 7, Grises De La Tarde, is a fantastic instrumental with wordless vocals, taking the listener to the definitive blue deep where no diurnal mark remains. Track 8, Mudo Testigo, initiates the turn up, back to surface, a song with great electric solo.

Track 9, Madrugada, my favourite one, features Ricardo Soulé from VOX DEI pairing his violin with Lucena's guitar, distilling a memorable moment of supreme sonic alchemy.

Excellent, maybe even a masterpiece, I need some more time with it to decide.