MIRROR TO THE SKY

It comes as almost unavoidable to say a word about the controversy on the legitimacy of the use of the brand YES by a group of musicians entirely different from the initial line-up (the "they are not really Yes" theory). That's because right after comes the rant: "this is nothing like they used to be in the golden seventies". But..., wait a second, if I concede that they are NOT YES (pun unintented) to begin with, then we won't have to compare them with their 70's alter egos anymore, and so we can now proceed with the review in a less schizophrenic mode.

This Not Yes certainly is a far less muscular animal than the others were in their prime. The first two tracks open proceedings featuring fresh interplay and pop sound. The minimal synth figures in the beginning immediately remind of the pop stylings imported by Geoff Downes from the Buggles sonic palette, and the great bass line by Billy Sherwood runs through the piece as the backbone of its inner rythmic complexity. There are also those three-part vocal harmonies articulating the many sections, that remind me the sweet roundness of their pop period. We can hear more of Steve Howe's guitars on the second track, All Connected, a good but maybe unnecessarily prolonged affair. Track three Luminosity adds almost nothing to my enjoyment so far. It detracts nothing either, just sounds a bit pointless. So much as this track is rather lost for the cause of dynamics, the next one (Living Out Their Dream) needed to compensate, and it does so with moderately faster tempo, guitar riffs & great solo , propulsive drums, and good vocals soaked in harmonies. I think I can hear a clear progression in the production of the voices, evolving from a solid but still pretty predictable treatment in the first three tracks, to a more creative approach in the fourth, rich in nuances yet not fully developed. And the apex of that process comes in full splendor with the title track.

Mirror To The Sky, the epic, is the real treasure to be found, with the virtuosity of Howe, the fantastic orchestral score, the clear understanding of the dynamics engineering shown by the rhythm section, and above all, an ambiance-defining mixing of the vocals, with great participation of Howe's particular kind of bass-baritone setting the initial tone of a choral arrangement for the ages. Pure beauty in a nocturnal mood, to the point that I barely care for the rest of the album. The closer is good, and the second disc just comes to fruition if somebody asks "Hey, what's for dessert?"