SAINT​-​EXUP​É​RY ÁLMA

(Spoiler alert: I'll mention YES too many times in this review!!!)

I need to say this right away: Yesterdays finally made the album we've been expecting from them from the very start. We needed a concept album and we got it. 73+ minutes, all around the topic of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Little Prince. A story about the writer's plane crash in the Libyan Desert and of course the birth story of the beloved French classic: Le Petit Prince.

The band this time not only hinted the process of the album, they've shared every little step with photos, making of video all through 2021 and 2022, so they've took their followers to a colorful journey through space and time. And it was worth the wait.

Great power, great sound and all the symphonic prog goodness you should expect if you are a YES, GENESIS or GENTLE GIANT fan. No pop music this time, just pure progressive rock. And they went really wild with the STEVE HOWE and CHRIS SQUIRE influences. Ákos Bogáti-Bokor, the leader of the project has a very good sensitivity toward these two musicians we all love. He made his mark on many SAMURAI OF PROG albums and projects in the past. With these influences on their shirts we all know where this album is stylistically.

Long songs. 8, 9, 11, 20 minutes... all made with rich musical ideas, no fillers or boring long solos: straight to the point all the time.

"Rajzolj át" is a fantastic opening tune. ROUNDABOUT came to my mind thanks to the sounds of the guitar and bass. Upbeat prog. HOWE and SQUIRE sounds all the way, but it's not a simple copy. The style, the mood and despite the influences, it's very original. The middle part is simply amazing, Stephanie Semeniuc shines through with her beautiful vocals, this part is like a love child between HEART OF THE SUNRISE and GATES OF DELIRIUM. The ending is like a lost musical piece from YES's FRAGILE. Beautiful!

"Úgy várj majd rám" was the first single, revealed in the Bandcamp Presale stage. Wise choice! Essential prog, catchy chorus, stellar instrumental parts. The song itself quotes AND YOU AND I in the intro. The middle part made me think of ENNIO MORRICONE and HARMONIUM at the same time. Italian bass player Francesco Faiulo (from THE COSMIC REMEDY) gives this part justice. The second part of the composition has the essence of Symphonic Prog (with capital letters). Hats off: this keyboard solo is an imaginary duet of Patrick MORAZ with CHRIS SQUIRE. Just amazing! One of the highlights of this album. Zsigó László (from TABULA SMARAGDINA) is a fantastic drummer, gives power to this segment (and to the whole album).

"Estekék" is like a back story of the album, you can imagine yourself in the middle of the desert, you can feel the thirsty struggle for life in the heat. Exotic sounds and once again, Stéphanie's powerful vocal performance. The backing vocals reminded me of DAVID CROSBY's rich arrangements. You don't hear these things anymore anywhere else too often. The theme of the song is a powerful unison melody, haunting, worrying and dark.

"Esőtánc" is a 20 minute long epic and oh boy, it is a big one. This song would need a separate review by itself. It's the best song on the album. Period. Mellotron extravaganza, Stéphanie's beauty, many many flutes, virtuoso guitars, distorted bass. What can I say? I was speechless when out of nowhere a 5 part vocal fugue appears GENTLE GIANT / KEVIN GILBERT / J. S. BACH style... completely blown away by Yesterdays' composition skills. You can put your hands on the HOWE, SQUIRE and GENESIS influenced parts, again, in a very original way. I just couldn't stop smiling. A very well built structure with rich musical colors, sounds, amazing lead vocals and dynamic drumming. Prog rock masterpiece!

"Ma minden érdekel" is a healing moment after the very intense 20 minute epic. It's like a THE BEACH BOYS / SUPERTRAMP song in the beginning, crazy solos in the middle, gentle seventies soundtrack-like music at the end to give the listener a calming release... the symphonic orchestra plays a few bars from STRAVINSKI's FIREBIRD SUITE and a few bars later (underneath the flute melody) there comes the melody of CLOSE TO THE EDGE... isn't this a heartfelt YES tribute moment? YES it is!

"Méreg" and "Panoptikum" are linked, these are the songs about the death of the Little Prince, a tribute to ENYEDI ZSOLT, Yesterdays' keyboard player who has tragically passed away in 2020. They have used his synth sounds from an unfinished early demo, so he can be heard one last time on a Yesterdays album. A crazy, haunting drum sound with unusual time-signature in loop. Gated drums á lá PHIL COLLINS, roto toms, radio noises. The Little Prince is gone...

"Engedj el" (Let me go) is the most beautiful and sad moment of the album. It sums up the whole story from the pilot's point of view. Sorry, I'm not sorry: I need to say that this is a fantastic GENESIS tribute moment. Yamaha CP sounds with harmonies from a never written TONY BANKS song, sensitive and yet powerful vocals, rich backing vocal harmonies, haunting middle part sung by Ákos, painful and heartfelt guitar solos in the style of HOWE and GILMOUR. And there's the drum sound from DUCHESS (of course from GENESIS' DUKE album).

"Rajzolj újra át" is a calming, cute little acoustic tune giving a gentle, playful, BEATLES-like releasing mood from all that progressive goodness we've experienced before, giving back the hope for the future.

To conclude this already long review, I'd like to say that I am very happy Yesterdays returned to true symphonic prog territories again, I think we'll be talking about this album a lot in the future. The album is a must for fans of Hungarian prog but lovers of this genre can't go wrong with this CD. Putting aside my heartfelt appreciation for Yesterdays, I am very confidently give strong four and a half stars, closer to five. Highly recommended!

I am usually trying to avoid bold statements, but this needs to be said: Yesterdays is better than ever, it's their most symphonic prog offering to date and for me it's one of the best prog albums of 2022 (if not my personal nr. 1!). With that out of the way I can go on with my impressions.

Their last album Senki madara took me by surprise with their take on traditional Hungarian folk songs turned into majestic progressive rock. But this time they went full prog with a strong and beloved concept: Antoine de Saint- Exupéry's The Little Prince. Such a good topic writing about. I know it's not the first prog album on this theme, there was GAZPACHO's take with their wonderful Tick Tock record (which is also very good). Yesterdays' version is about Exupéry's plane crash in the desert and all those thirsty hallucinations, struggle, mirages and the genesis of the Little Prince story, showing similarities between the stages of suffering, fear of death and the storyline of the book. They took inspiration from Saint-Exupéry's short stories, like the Night Flight, so there's more insight about the author's state of mind in it.

The booklet is beautiful, photos of things left in the desert, old Leica camera, a notebook with the story, an empty flask, a knife, a compass. The lyrics are in Hungarian, but there's a short introduction in English to guide the reader about the storyline.

The influences are pretty obvious, we already knew that Yesterdays love YES, but the guitar sounds will make you think of STEVE HOWE in a heartbeat... the good old CLOSE TO THE EDGE sound and HOWE's Stratocaster sound from ABWH (right in the first song: Rajzolj át). The bass guitar sound is screaming their appreciation of Mr. CHRIS SQUIRE. I can even put my hands on SQUIRE's FISH OUT OF WATER sounds during the first track, right after the RELAYER-inspired pre-chorus with guitar swells and amazing vocals from Stéphanie Semeniuc. This is a nice example how not to just simply copy your influences, but taking them to some new and original musical territory. I'm loving these moments and somehow I have the feeling that Yesterdays sounds like YES more than they did on their last few albums.

I am very much into long epic compositions. On this album there are a few epics, but the Esőtánc (Raindance) is the longest, over 20 minutes, is my favorite progressive rock epic from the last 15-20 years. It has everything you'd want in this genre: epic intro, returning themes, rich vocals (even a vocal fugue!), the richest instrumentation you can think of, beautiful vintage sounds, flowing composition without empty, filler or over-repetitive parts, flutes (of Gábor Kecskeméti), mellotrons. A true time-travelling experience with YES, GENTLE GIANT, ELP and GENESIS moods. And might be the most interesting thing: this epic is a study how to use the well known building blocks of prog without any direct cliché and in the same time keeping the integrity of the band's original sound. A nice study in symphonic prog for sure.

Ma minden érdekel has the magical chord from The BEATLES' Hard Day's Night, and after that they go to a JELLYFISH / SUPERTRAMP territory in style, just before the guitar/flute solo part which reminded me of THE FLOWER KINGS, Roine STOLT's UNFOLD THE FUTURE-era wah-wah guitar solo sound. Ákos Bogáti-Bokor is moving effortlessly in 70's progrock guitar universe. And at the end they are quoting CLOSE TO THE EDGE with a symphonic orchestra (if you listen carefully when the flute enters the last part).

Finally let me tell you a bit about the exceptional SOUND of this album. I am writing this with confidence: the mixing and especially the mastering's quality of this record is a true trip to audiophile territories. Fantastic dynamics, with the most expansive sound-stage you can imagine. No loudness war, no heavy compression. And coming from a home studio from Romania/Hungary... Well, hats off!

Saint-Exupéry álma (Saint-Exupéry's Dream) is one of the strongest prog albums of 2022. I hope it will bring this band the well deserved appreciation. This is why I am giving five stars, we need albums like this in the future. Warmly recommended for every symphonic prog fan. 

Four years after their successful 3rd album Senki madara here's the highly anticipated new one. I've been looking forward listening to this. With all the Facebook blogging we were on a trip with the band, following each moment, recording session with photos and videos.

The album is a kind of origin story of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, here introduced in the light of the Libyan Desert plane crash on December 30, 1935. Nice theme for a concept album and Yesterdays were planning this for more than a decade now.

74 minutes in total with a few really long songs, this album clearly follows the path of YES and GENESIS with a very vintage instrumentation and excellent compositional skills. It's nice to see that the band is finally back on the symphonic prog train, going in full speed.

Lyrics in Hungarian, not so surprising news, Yesterdays made a poll asking their fans about the language of the album and Hungarian was the chosen one. I am happy with this decision, Hungarian is a nice/musical sounding language especially on Stéphanie Semeniuc's beautiful voice.

I've read in a recent interview that while playing on many SAMURAI OF PROG albums, Ákos Bogáti-Bokor was frequently asked by Marco Bernard to play in the style of Steve HOWE. Now he took this to another level, but this time not only on the guitars. His bass playing is completely inspired by CHRIS SQUIRE's style and sound. This combo clearly gives the album a strong YES vibe. The flute is a Yesterdays trademark, so no surprise here, Gábor Kecskeméti brings his virtuoso flute playing. Drums of Zsigó László's playing (from the Hungarian band/project TABULA SMARAGDINA) gives the album a groovy, dynamic vibe along with percussion player Kósa Dávid.

Strong compositions, well crafted backing vocals, all the stylistic components I like in symphonic progressive rock and the very dynamic mixing/mastering job gave this album a high quality vibe. Eastern Europe still has fantastic bands and Yesterdays is one of the best ones from that area.

Favorite song: Engedj el. I haven't heard such a SONG like this since GENESIS' AFTERGLOW. Pure beauty.

If you liked their epic (SEVEN) from their 1st album (Holdfénykert) and the band's more progrocky songs, this album is a must have. Saint-Exupery álma still hits me after one week of constant listening, especially the 20 minutes long epical ESŐTÁNC. Four big shiny stars for this strong release. A true Eastern European masterpiece. Highly recommended.

A pleasant trip down memory lane with tons of well known sounds, well crafted compositions and beautiful female vocals, this is the new Yesterdays album Saint-Exupéry álma.

The concept of Le Petit Prince is a longtime prog favorite, MIKE RUTHERFORD wanted to compose a concept album on this topic instead/before of THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY. Fast forward four decades, here's a Hungarian band making their mark in symphonic prog land with a full CD length concept album in the good old progrock tradition: with tons of MELLOTRONS, with a vintage sound that will remind you to YES and GENESIS immediately.

As a sucker for prog with female voice I started to be aware of Stéphanie Semeniuc's amazing vocal range with the previous Yesterdays album Senki madara. Now she is really showing off her skills on this album, helped by backing vocalist Tarsoly Csenge and Bogáti-Bokor Ákos by using multiple layers of vocals, a la PINK FLOYD, YES, QUEEN and even JELLYFISH.

Lyrics are in Hungarian, which is a good thing, I like these sonic adventures in different cultures, plus I got tired of the fact that almost every non-English band uses English for prog. Remember? Italian, Spanish, French, Belgian, German, Romanian, Hungarian, even made up languages were a thing in the seventies? And it was great! I'd bring back other languages into the genre... Hungarian prog is alive and Yesterdays represents a nice continuity after EAST, SOLARIS, AFTER CRYING, YOU AND I, who were using (mostly) their native language on their records.

Saint-Exupéry's Dream starts off with a powerful YES-like riff with the first chapter called Rajzolj át. Guitars in the style of STEVE HOWE (especially the first solo) with a wide stereo effect (exactly like on ROUNDABOUT) and I think it's definitely intentional. The ending is like a part from a never written YES tune. Seriously!

Úgy Várj Majd Rám is a symphonic prog gem. Well crafted melody, a catchy driving chorus, symphonic middle part with some Italian taste and the second part is a progrock instrumental highlight... moog, bass and talkbox guitar solo. My favorite moment on the album.

Esőtánc and Ma Minden Érdekel are linked with a musical theme and together are more than 30 minutes long. The first one is a very intense prog epic with very strong moments. Can't avoid mentioning GENTLE GIANT and GENESIS here, those sounds are very obvious. The chapters of the composition are well crafted songs on their own, they could easily use them as radio edits, the one around the 8th minute is so catchy! A nice example of a well crafted epic with a nice climax. Essential!

The next two moments (a solo piano piece with symphonic arrangements and flute solo) and a song with heavy drums and synth pads are the band's tribute to Enyedi Zsolt, YeDi, the band's keyboard player who sadly passed away in 2020, They have used his synth chords from a previous demo and built a song around it, so he can be present on this new albums too. A heartfelt gesture as allegory of the Little Prince's death/passing. Such a beautiful and heartbreaking moment.

Engedj El (Release Me) is the perfect ending of a nearly perfect album. GENESIS style sounds from the DUKE era are obvious: Yamaha CP, drum machine loop (from DUCHESS), little hints showing their influences. In the middle part there's a HOWE-ish guitar solo followed by a GILMOUR-ish solo (with fantastic backing vocals in the background). A symphonic prog delight.

I had a fantastic time with this album in the last few days. A very strong release, probably the best Yesterdays album so far, so I am already curious about their next one. But until that comes, this one will have lots of spins in my player. A true 4 star album, one of 2022's best albums for me.

I discovered Yesterdays four years ago on Bandcamp and since then I dag deep into their musical catalog, so I was aware of Saint-Exupéry álma's arrival. I'd say this album is the storm after the calm. The previous album Senki madara was a beautiful, gentle release with cello, string quartet, guest singers singing traditional Hungarian folk songs with symphonic prog arrangements, but now we can witness a more powerful, more progressive side of the band and it is to my liking.

The story of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a nice choice building a concept album around it. MIKE RUTHERFORD wanted to do it, GAZPACHO did something like this with it and now Yesterdays are here with their interpretation in the good old symhonic prog tradition.

For those who don't know Yesterdays yet, they are heavily inspired by YES, GENTLE GIANT and GENESIS, especially the guitars, vintage keyboards and the bass are sounding like the big prog guys. The main difference is in the female voice,the big choir-like backing vocals, and the flutes (no, not JETHRO TULL-like crazy, more like in Hungarian band SOLARIS). Lead singer Stephanie Semeniuc can sing anything from prog to more jazzy stuff with a clear, powerful voice and an impressive range and a unique timbre, so her presence gives a strong plus to the already great music.

Each long composition on this album has some kind of catchy ear-worm potential to it which is very important in keeping the attention of the listener alive, especially when the lyrics are in Hungarian and we can't understand a word. The booklet has a short explanation in English for each song, guiding the reader through the storyline. But of course the music speaks for itself. Personally I don't care too much about lyrics. Always liked Hungarian bands like AFTER CRYING, YOU AND I, EAST where the music was also very good.

I know that Akos Bogati-Bokor is obsessed with STEVE HOWE and YES in general, but I don't mind noticing these stylistic similarities. Yesterdays started an inside joke in 2006 (with their first album) that they are hiding the CLOSE TO THE EDGE melody a few times on each Yesterdays album. Later they got very vocal about this lovely tribute to YES. It took me a several days to notice the melody in "Ma minden érdekel". Can you spot it?

I found out from the booklet that Saint-Exupéry álma is an allegory of the loss of their keyboard player Zsolt Enyedi, who died in 2020. In "A méreg" they've used Eneydi's keyboard parts from an old demo and they've built a song around that theme, so we can hear his playing one last time on a Yesterdays album. The allegory is even more obvious: this song is about the passing of the Little Prince...

A 73 minute concept album is never an easy-listening experience, but this album grabs your attention from the start. Each song has something new to say musically, but there are a few musical themes that are present in each composition, just like it should in a case like this.

Even with the obvious YES and GENESIS influences I can't say that Yesterdays is not original. The music has a special Eastern European feel to it which I like very much.

The packaging, the booklet, the photos are very nicely done and in harmony with the music's concept, beautifully done!

Saint-Exupéry álma is a nice addition to any symphonic prog fan's collection with an excellent audiophile sound (they are promoters of the anti loudness war for years now). It should be played loud though. Warmly recommended concept album, one of my favorite albums of 2022.

This band is inspired by the prog of the 70's, especially the symphonic prog of Yes mainly because of the Steve Howe style of guitar playing. But they have their own style singing in their own language and adding some jazzy parts. They also use plenty of flute passages. The songs are long in duration, allowing the music to display many moods that are not always working. I don't know if the problem was that the band was trying to create the melody with too many ideas, but the result is not as convincing as our favorite bands of the past. There are some more satisfying moments in the epic songs and at the end of the album. The keyboards and guitar playing is impressive, but not when the keyboard player use the same boring short keyboard part too many times throughout the album. For fans of Magenta, Glass Hammer, and Yes for the sound more than the music.3.5 sars

Saint-Exupéry álma (Saint-Exupéry's Dream) is Yesterdays' fourth studio album. I believe it's one of the best Hungarian progressive rock albums of the last few decades and one from my top 5 prog albums of 2022. It's the band's strongest and most powerful release.

As a Hungarian speaker I need to say this right away, the lyrics on this album are a real treat, beautiful poetry. So this is a big-big plus for Hungarian fans, but fortunately the beauty comes through the music also, thanks to Stéphanie Semeniuc's beautiful and expressive lead vocals.

It's safe to say that Yesterdays already has a unique sound despite the obvious Yes influences. Mellotrons, analog synths, vintage guitars, multiple vocal harmonies, good and long songs. Use these things and you get something similar to Yes or Genesis... add some flutes and female lead vocals with a special taste of Eastern European tradition and you get Yesterdays.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince is a good starting point for a concept album, but putting this tale in the context of Exupéry's short stories, the desert plane crash took the idea to a deeper level.

The CD booklet has been put together in English, introduction and storyline for non Hungarian speaking fans, so you can associate the meaning of each song to its part in the whole concept.

Rajzolj át is a fantastic and powerful opening statement. Fragile era Yes feel thanks to the Bogáti-Bokor Ákos' Howe inspired guitar runs and bass playing. After the Relayer-style middle part there's a bass solo melody that reminded me of Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water album. The coda has a strong sixties vibe... and we find ourselves deep in the story. "Draw me a sheep!"

Úgy várj majd rám is the Little Prince's goodbye to his tiny planet and the rose. A catchy chorus and a powerful upbeat guitar riff and we're in the middle part, a dreamy soundtrack-type chapter that reminded me of Harmonium, a true delight when the Minimoog steps in. The third part of the song is representing one of the instrumental highlights on the album. A crazy, virtuoso Minimoog solo comes in screaming while - again - Squire- like bass is thundering in the low end. Amazing skills again. And there's a talk box guitar solo too.

Estekék is the darkest song on the album with a powerful unison riff (guitar, bass, Moog Taurus) and countless vocal harmonies. The riff is the same melody we heard in the Squire-tribute part in Rajzolj át (there played by a symphonic orchestra). The ending's haunting flute-acoustic guitar duo is the most sad and yet uplifting thing on the album.

The big epic is called Esőtánc (Raindance) and it's the origin story of the Little Prince through all the hallucinations of the author in those three thirsty days in the desert. Well crafted parts joined together masterfully. The main melody returns on Hammond, piano, Minimoog, a 5 part vocal fugue and on acoustic guitar. There are parts which reminded me of Heart if the Sunrise or Watcher of the Skies. Gentle Giant-like fughettas and mellotron tricks. This song needs more listening to catch all the nuances. Again, the lyrics are amazing good on this track.

After every epic there's a need for a more relaxed song to channel the emotions and tension. In Ma minden érdekel there's a light, catchy verse, a power-pop style chorus and a solo part that could be part on a Flower Kings album, Roine Stolt-style guitar solo, but I can hear a little bit of Dave Navarro in it as well.

The passing of the Little Prince is definitely about the tragic passing of the band's keyboard player, Enyedi Zsolt... a calm waltz on a piano accompanied by a symphonic orchestra and a flute solo. Such a beautiful piece of music, reminiscent of Locanda delle Fate. But while you are embraced by beauty and nostalgy, A méreg (the Venom) drastically changes the mood and presents the Little Prince's ambivalent feelings about death.

Engedj el (Release me) is my favorite moment on the album. Clear Genesis' Duke mood with Yamaha electric piano and Phil Collins' drum machine sound from Duchess. Such a perfect way to end a concept album like this. This is why I think Saint-Exupéry álma is one of the strongest Hungarian prog albums. Not only the beautiful melody and harmonies in rich second-chords make this sound special, but again, the lyrics are so beautiful, I wish the bands could include translations of these poems in the booklet.

Rajzolj újra át is the final and shortest song on the album, with The Beatles style chord voicings and mood, a gentle acoustic song with positive aftertaste to intentionally calm down the previous song's emotions.

I am happy that Yesterdays took the courage to make music about this concept. There's no doubt this will become a classic Hungarian prog album. Hungarian prog is still a thing, this warms my heart. Highly recommended, very enjoyable album with its four and a half shiny stars, not just for Hungarians.

Saint-Exupéry álma, the 4th Yesterdays studio album. First I thought this will be an easy review to write, but the music asked for more attention to detail in the last few weeks from me.

Albums like these are making me very proud that Hungarian prog is still a thing. We know that SOLARIS will be back soon with their 3rd album in the Marsbéli kórnikák series, surely a fantastic new Hungarian offering, but until that one will arrive, Saint-Exupéry álma is in my TOP 3 albums of 2022 and not only because it's Hungarian :)

Just imagine a band with no financial background, recording, producing everything by themselves, in bedrooms, or at work, in a baroque castle and on a stage at the local theater. Mixing, artwork, everything was made by the band at home, yet this album is in the same league with the greats (who have keys to professional studios and engineers) with an audiophile, very dynamic sound, probably the best sound you've heard in the last few years from a prog band. Home production? Hats off,Yesterdays!

Song by song they bring something new and yet still something familiar. Okay, the YES influences are strong on this record, but that isn't the most precious thing about the album. Yes, it's a concept album, yes, the story is well known, but musically speaking this material is very interesting and new. Ákos Bogáti-Bokor is a great guitarist, I knew this from his previous work with SAMURAI OF PROG, PAIDARION, ARGOS, YACOBS and of course the previous Yesterdays albums, but now he is better than ever, right in your face! Yes, his style is similar to STEVE HOWE, but who can blame him? In 2022 everybody goes for a modern prog-metal, neo-prog direction. Liking HOWE's work it is almost out of style and there are not many players like Steve, so I am happy that Ákos is on his way bringing more music like this in the future.

Yesterdays has a fantastic lead singer, Stéphanie Semeniuc. I get it, Magenta comes to mind, they are the new classic in female led prog, but Stéphanie is something else. She comes from a jazzy direction giving songs like Estekék (Eveningblue... such a nice made-up word in Hungarian, yet it means so much...) more depth and color, also she has a much wider and powerful range, and thanks to the crazy rich backing vocals, the YES comparison is better. Chris Squire had his experience from singing in choirs, so does Ákos, Stéphanie and Csenge Tarsoly (backing vocals on the album) and this is where Yesterdays really shines.

Talking about CHRIS SQUIRE. Yesterdays currently has no bass player, so Ákos recorded the bass guitar parts. Turns out he is not only a HOWE fan, but he knows all the chops needed to sound like Mr. SQUIRE too. Another point in plus, great playing. In the first song Rajzolj át the middle part is a clear homage to CHRIS SQUIRE.

The 20 minute long epic, Esőtánc isn't even my favorite on this album, but it has some goosebumps moments. It must be hard to keep a 20 minute song interesting without prolonged instrumental parts, long guitar solos and Yesterdays nailed this. Nice syncopation, great drum-bass work, especially playing the S.O.S. signal, Morse-code rhythm in unison. So many details, nuances. This song is begging for listening to it in repeat.

And there are those beautiful Beatles-like moments, of Supertramp Wurlitzer piano parts in Ma minden érdekel with stellar vocal performance again. Flutes (Kecskeméti Gábor is fantastic!), percussion (Kósa Dávid), funny narration in French, symphonic parts, these make Yesterdays so much different from their biggest influence: YES... they can afford to be funny and more crazy, like in the solo part of this song which reminded me of THE FLOWER KINGS' great Stolt guitar moments. But using talk-box guitar sounds in prog is very unique (in Úgy várj majd rám - probably the best song on the album).

Another great musical moment is Engedj el... yeah, so much Genesis in it, but who cares? Yesterdays have that great sensibility of writing good songs, and if something brings back PHIL COLLINS' writing style from the DUKE era, I don't care, I am happy with it. Lush electric piano sounds, beautiful melody sung by Stéphanie again, the chorus is so catchy, I can't help myself singing along (good thing to be Hungarian). The middle part, where the pilot said goodbye to the Little Prince was sung by Ákos this time. Such a nice choice. Double tracked vocals with precision accompanied by beautiful crescendos thanks to the bass and the mellotron. The guitar solo is beyond the Howe influences. No blues-licks here - okay, that's like Howe - but more contemporary classical music style with a nice Soundchaser aftertaste. Loving it, and Zsigó László proves to be a fantastic drummer, I know him since the TABULA SMARAGDINA album "A szavakon túl" (another fine Hungarian album!).

I am very impressed by this album, the music keeps growing in me and thanks to the beautiful lyrics and great interpretation of Stéphanie the layers of the story are as one with the music. Definitely this is one of the top albums of 2022. Looking forward for more Yesterdays stuff in the future. More than four Hungarian stars, it is already an Eastern European classic.

Review #15

This year (2022) I have already heard many albums worth listening to. But that I may discover such a pearl at the end of the year really puts me in the greatest joy. "Yesterdays" is a talented progressive rock band from Hungary, which uses its home advantage and performs its music in the national language. This feature alone makes Yesterdays music something very special, as I personally have never heard prog in Hungarian and can directly attest that this beautiful language forms a dreamlike synthesis with the music. Stéphanie Semeniuc and Tarsoly Csenge with their warm, strong and variable voices are an important anchor in Yesterday's music, whether alone or in multi-layered harmony vocals. Speaking of the music, I'm happy to move on to the next highlight: the instrumentation. Mellotron, mini-Moog, flute, acoustic guitars, piano and additional percussion create a wonderful retro sound that revives the golden times of prog. This is an excellent melting pot that combines the lively and positive musical style of Yes with a jazzy, atmospheric and more experimental side of Camel. The band uses these reference bands to create their own sound, which can confidently be called a blueprint of 70s prog - carried by a very strong self-production (!) as well as a lot of passion and skill. What is special about "Yesterdays" is that, from a compositional point of view, there is a lot of room for the actual song progression, allowing melodies to develop, instrumental parts to unfold and atmospheres to build up. Songs like "Estekék" or the brilliant long track "Esötánc" are great examples of how versatile Yesterdays music sounds and works. Breathtaking. Captivating. Exciting.

The decisive factor for me is clearly that "Saint-Exupéry Álma" pulled me into its maelstrom from the very beginning and takes me back to my early days of prog passion, where every minute of prog music feels like fireworks in my ears. An incredibly strong album that reflects and bows to the core of classic prog in every way. A much too unknown masterpiece that I think every fan of the genre should know.

Saint-Exupéry álma, channels a softer Relayer era YES. Mostly the lighter Steve Howe Relayer guitar parts. Yesterdays references 72-76 YES energy. And I love it. The Romanian band sings in Hungarian. How prog is that?

Saint-Exupéry álma is the Little Prince tale, based on the book's author's plane crashing in the desert. True story. In fact he crashed an airplane twice. But that's another story.

Prog allusions abound. From Rush to Gentle Giant. That said, the music sounds fresh and totally original. I've been spinning this album for almost a year. Keep it in my car. And I love it. Adore the lead singer, Stéphanie Semeniuc. Her vocals shimmer and shine like spangles on wavy water.

Beefy, melodic bass lines. Exquisite guitar melodies. Sonorous, sharp, short keyboards tones crossover into Supertramp territory. Album is a grower. And isn't that the best kind? Top five all-time East-European masterpiece. My lone 2022 masterpiece rating.

This is a review in Hungarian about the latest album of the band Yesterdays, titled "Saint-Exupéry's Dream". Their previous album, "Senki madara" was also unique, as it mixed Hungarian folk music and folk songs with progressive rock. The new album, as its title suggests, is based on the life and work of the famous French writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, with his most famous story, "The Little Prince," at the center. The band had been planning to dedicate a whole album to their favorite book since around 2006, but it only became a reality recently. Although the album itself took only a year to make, the band essentially put together this 9-track, 74-minute musical journey in 2021.

Since the album goes beyond the world-famous book, they did not want to simply call it "The Little Prince". The band's keyboardist at the time, Zsolt Enyedi, came up with the title "Saint-Exupéry's Dream". Unfortunately, he passed away in May 2020, but his playing can still be heard in the song "Méreg". The band dedicates this extremely ambitious concept album to his memory.

If you are familiar with Yesterdays, you will not be surprised musically, as they continue to play that kind of colorful, playful, virtuosic, yet song-centered progressive rock music that is closest to the world of YES. Like "Senki madara," the vocals are once again sung by female voices. Stéphanie Semeniuc and Csenge Tarsoly's ethereal melodies enchant us for 74 minutes. Gábor Kecskeméti plays the flute, László Zsigó plays the drums, Dávid Kósa plays the percussion and background vocals, and Francesco Faiulo plays the bass guitar in two songs. And of course, there is Ákos, who could form a band all by himself. On this album, he plays the acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, mellotron, Hammond organ, piano, harpsichord, Minimoog, and other synthesizers, as well as contributing to the solo vocals and background vocals. I don't want to sound greedy, but I do miss the prominent presence of the fretless bass guitar on "Senki madara." But that's about all I can criticize. And it's really just that.

The intimate atmosphere of Yesterdays is magical! Wow, the singing melody in the verses is so delicious! I feel that this album is great in every way as it is! Because those who are able to write and perform a giant like "Esőtánc" which is almost 21 minutes long, and do it in a way that the playing time flies by, they really know something!The verses of "Esőtánc" bring to mind the melody of the Hungarian progressive rock pioneer band, EAST. At around the fifth minute, there's a cool acoustic guitar, clapping, harpsichord section. The level of musical freedom and diversity in Yesterdays is akin to that of one of the world's greatest bands, Queen. Around 8:10, Ákos launches into a circular, almost two-minute guitar solo that would be a credit to Joe SATRIANI, Steve VAI, or even Al Di MEOLA. Following that is an a cappella section sung in canon with the ladies, it'sa vocal fugue. In the second half of "Esőtánc," there are one or two riffs, musical solutions that bring to mind DREAM THEATER's album "The Astonishing," which did not exactly receive a positive reception at the time of its release.

The smoky, jazzy, noir-esque verses of "Ma minden érdekel" are captivating, and the energized parts and playful background vocals are excellent as well. This album is so eclectic that it gives a feeling of colorfulness and variety, rather than a pile of thrown-together themes. There are so many subtle instrumental nuances in the songs that I recommend everyone to listen to the album with headphones at least once! Even in this song, there are genius musical solutions, like the alternating and competing wah-pedal guitar solos and flute solos. The piano-dominated chamber music of "Panoptikum" penetrates the soul, and then "Méreg" starts with massive drum beats and introduces a new element, narration. As expected, Ákos quotes Exupéry, but not from "The Little Prince." The emphatic, slow drumming again evokes East and Péter Dorozsmai, while the guitar solo is GILMOUR-esque.

The Rajzolj újra (Draw Again) is a worthy conclusion to this magnificent album, with a 'reprise' quality that somewhat reflects the opening song. But with its quiet and calm tone, it is rather a beautiful farewell from the writer, from the Little Prince, and from us listeners.

This album also urges me to read The Little Prince again, because the fact is, I haven't really read it with an adult's mind. I read it several times when I was in high school, but that was 20-25 years ago... So in the coming period, I already know what I will be reading, and I also know that I will listen to this great album many times! The digipack CD is as sophisticated as the music itself. Ákos, besides making music, also likes to take photos, so his pictures are included in the booklet, and even on the cover, the disc depicts nothing else but a compass.

I'm curious if Ákos' students (since he is a music teacher in civilian life) are aware of what a caliber of a musician/songwriter is teaching them.

Saint-Exupéry álma is a fantastic symphonic prog album. Highly recommended! Four and a half stars.

It may have reached me a bit late, but it brought a pleasant surprise. After Solaris, East, You and I, and After Crying, Yesterdays has become my new favorite Hungarian band.

The world of concept albums has always been close to my heart. It feels great to follow a story, especially if it's as beloved as Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince.'

We are dealing with music truly inspired by YES, from somewhere between the 'Fragile' and 'Close To The Edge' albums, yet Yesterdays' music feels very fresh, full of symphonic prog goodness.

'Rajzolj át' feels just like Chris Squire playing bass. Strong chorus, virtuoso solos, a captivating rhythm. The middle part seems like a lost section from 'The Gates of Delirium' all of it with distinctive female vocals. The coda at the end of the song is a real treat for early YES fans.

Once we've warmed up and tuned into the album, the second song truly takes us by surprise, 'Úgy várj majd rám' It's undoubtedly one of the album's strongest points. It has everything we love in this style and it showcases the band's fantastic songwriting skills. They don't get lost in long, dull sections; it's concise, with a dreamy middle section (reminiscent of Harmonium), and a brutally virtuoso solo series. All of this is superbly arranged and produced.

'Estekék' tells the story of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's days after an emergency landing in the desert. The dark moods are emphasized by a strict unison melody: bass guitar, electric guitar, and Moog Taurus.

The longest song on the album follows, 'Esőtánc (Rain Dance)', bringing back the golden age of progressive rock. It has it all: a symphonic intro played on the mellotron with plenty of Moog, piano runs reminiscent of Locanda Delle Fate, Renaissance music-inspired musical sections, a Gentle Giant-inspired vocal fugue, lyrical moments reminiscent of 'Heart of the Sunrise,' a Steve Howe-style acoustic intermezzo, rich background vocals (rare in today's prog music), melodic refrains, and recurring themes. From the recent prog releases, this is my favorite composition. The album's peak.

A Supertramp-inspired song with beautiful harmonies and a guitar-flute duel reminiscent of The Flower Kings follows, evoking the theme of 'Close To The Edge' in a symphonic arrangement.

'Panoptikum' is a delicate piano transition into a meaningful song, 'A Méreg' In this song, we hear the band's former keyboardist, Zsolt Enyedi, for the last time. He passed away at a young age in 2020 due to a tragic stroke. The band dedicated this album to his memory.

The song 'Engedj el' summarizes 'The Little Prince' story, focusing on letting go. Strong influences from YES and Genesis are evident here. This will undoubtedly be a wonderful concert song. If the band can perform at the level I've seen on YouTube, I'm even more excited to experience this music live.

All in all, I can welcome a new favorite into my collection. I wholeheartedly recommend this album to everyone, especially those who, like me, haven't come across Yesterdays' fourth album before. A masterpiece!