Triana-Sombra y Luz (1979)

Triana's third album marked their commercial and creative peak, selling nearly half a million copies in the Spanish market, and completing the band's progressive trilogy that had begun four years earlier with their impressive debut album, "El Patio". In this new release, "Sombra y Luz" (Shadow and Light), the band achieved better production than their previous two albums, making the content shine with catchy melodies and an ever-growing commitment to their original musical philosophy. However, it's also true that they began to lose some of their initial progressive drive, showcasing a less grounded and more conventional sound. Even so, this doesn't mean they abandoned progressive sounds, as there is still plenty of impressive material here, brimming with enormous instrumental complexity, genuine passion, and that special magic that only flamenco can bring to the final product, making it sound truly progressive. The main reason for all this is Jesús de la Rosa's less forceful and more restrained use of synthesizers, as a counterpoint to the sounds of the electric and acoustic guitars. This allows the latter to steal the spotlight and, at many points on the album, lead to more aggressive and purely rock sounds. All of this is clearly manifested in the opening track, "Un Historia", a clear rock song with blues influences, full of melancholic serenity. As a counterpoint, there's "Quiero Contarte", a cheerful piece featuring excellent electric guitar work by Pepe Roca, one of the guest guitarists, along with Antonio Pérez and Enrique Carmona, who demonstrate their undeniable talent throughout the album. With the following track, "Sombra y Luz", Triana once again demonstrates its experimental style with a tour de force that includes touches of jazz-rock and psychedelic sounds. It's here that Jesús De La Rosa's synthesizers recapture the essence of their previous albums in a brilliant and memorable piece. Following this comes the epic “Hasta Volver”, a ten-minute epic track that, along with the previous one, is the album's highlight. The beautiful “Tiempo sin saber” showcases the group's flamenco side, while “Vuelta a La sombra y a la Luz” maintains the same musical structure as its namesake, “Sombra y Luz”, but with a much shorter and more restrained duration.