FRAGILE

Fifteen short months after their brilliant debut album "Golden Fragments," FRAGILE (YES, we miss you) is back with their second album, "Beyond." The silver lining of the global health crisis is that musicians have more time to compose, although in FRAGILE's case, it's clear that the drafts of the new tracks were already well advanced when "Golden Fragments" was released.

Barely two minutes into "Beyond," the eponymous track, clocking in at twenty-one minutes and fifty-six minutes, there's no hesitation, we find ourselves on familiar ground (at least for those who made the effort to listen to the first album): Claire Hammill's voice (like an Annie Haslam who hasn't suffered the ravages of time), Oliver Day's Howardian guitar, Max Hunt's protean keyboards, including remarkable piano playing (more John Tout than Rick Wakeman), and the gurgling of the synthesizer around the fourteenth minute, a bass guitar worthy of Chris Squire no less... this isn't La Redoute's catalog, even if it sounds like it!

My only criticism of this very long piece (9/10) is that it's far too heavily sung for my taste, even though Claire Hammill is an excellent vocalist (she sings for fourteen of the twenty-two minutes; the main and final instrumental part is found in the second half and is absolutely remarkable in terms of symphonic progressive music).

The second piece, "Yours and Mine," at fourteen minutes and a bit, follows in the same vein, with the same inspiration, the same creativity, the same (damn?) Yessian influences (you can't change your ways, and when you love, you don't count!), a piece enhanced by a beautiful two-minute instrumental introduction before Claire Hamill's diaphanous voice takes over, like the ethereal voice of a child or, at most, a young adult, a musical canvas that never tires (10/10).

We're already coming to the last track, but there were only three: "The Golden Ring of Time" (10/10), almost as long as the previous one, with an instrumental opening of just over two minutes, a track where the London band's influence is more pronounced, especially for Oliver DAY's six-string guitar. If Steve HOWE needed support, he's there here (the funny thing is that Oliver didn't compose the track, which was written by Claire HAMILL and Max HUNT). Progressive with a symphonic tendency, without the sometimes pompous symphonic side, and still with that rare, beautiful voice that makes me simply adore FRAGILE.

We can't close this review without highlighting the remarkable iconographic work of Steve MAYERSON (as on the band's first album), a sort of hidden spiritual son of the illustrious Roger DEAN: mayersonart.wixsite.com/home.

We dedicate this first album to the memory of our old friend Tom DAWE, who founded the band a long time ago...

"Golden Fragments" is the first original album by FRAGILE, a tribute band to...YES, obviously present on European stages since the late 1990s, who decided to take the plunge into original compositions while maintaining the YES trademark in spirit and music. It's worth noting that singer Claire HAMILL has lent her voice to albums by Steve HOWE, Jon ANDERSON, JON & VANGELIS, and WISHBONE ASH, so she's on familiar ground.

Without prejudging what's to come, a minute and a half is enough to understand where we're going and how we're going there! All the brilliance and vision of the great British band are there, I mean the great British band, not the pale imitation that has been offered to us in 2020 and for several years now... The opening track, also the longest on the album, delightfully immerses us in our past fantasies. It's all there: the Howardian six-string played by Oliver Day, the Squirian four-string handled by Max Hunt, the Wakemanian keyboards under the agile fingers of the same Max Hunt, and the percussive drumming of Russ Wilson, which is more reminiscent of Bill than Alan... All of this is brightened by Claire Hamill's magnificent vocals, as if Jon Anderson had mutated into a feminine voice, with octaves inaccessible to most of the singers we usually encounter (10/10).

Obviously after this unmissable gem, we have to come back down a little to appreciate at its true value the second piece "Blessed by the Sun/Hey You And I And" whose title is a real reference to one of the anthology pieces of the historical and miracle YES, there too, we believe it, impressive mastery demonstrated by this FRAGILE (9/10). A little less exciting the "Five Senses" which follows, perhaps because sung by a male voice in its first part, that of the omnipresent Max HUNT and simply vocalized by Claire in its second part under a plethora of guitars worthy of who you know (8/10). We move on to "Heavens Core" with a mix of male and female vocals this time, with the former dominating, and here it's the keyboard instruments that dominate, combining the bombast of the seventies with an overall sound much more rooted in the 2000s, a piece that could have escaped from "The Ladder" (8/10). This is followed by the obligatory acoustic interlude "Open Space," which we'll just say they couldn't help themselves... (no rating intentionally).

The penultimate track, "Time To Dream/Now We Are The Sunlight," returns to the story, with the exception of the female vocals, featuring lots and lots of synthesizers, in layers for the first three minutes and a brilliant, burning explosion for the rest under the pressure of Oliver Day's guitar, who treats us to a sumptuous performance of his instrument, all worthy of the best period of their big brother (9/10).

The second epic that closes the album, "Old Worlds And Kingdoms/Too Late In The Day," has little to envy the first epic in terms of musicality. It's introduced by a delicate piano, in true Yessian style, before Claire Hamill ignites our senses with her high-pitched voice, accompanied by Oliver DAY's ethereal guitar, which multiplies like Steve (sorry, the comparison can't be avoided). A truly beautiful composition that captures the best moments of the London troupe at its peak. In short, a progressive gem for women (10/10).

I didn't know what to expect from FRAGILE, but let's just say it's a success, a beautiful and surprising satisfaction.

A great new original album from Fragile. I have seen the band live in their past life as a Yes tribute band, both with original singer Steve Carney and later with Claire Hamill, who I am also a fan of. To me the whole sound evokes warm memories of 70s Yes, whilst also being fresh and original. There are obvious Yes inspired passages but no copying or plagiarism is evident. There are also some definite classical style sections which stand out. This album seems to have more originality than their 2020 release 'Golden Fragments'. Production is clear and powerful with thundering 'Whitesque' drum passages, powerful riffing and highly varied bass, which like Squire, plays higher delicate melodies as well as powerful syncopated riffs. The guitar and keyboard interplay is highly skilled and Claire's beautiful voice soars above. A great addition to my collection.

The title track Beyond slowly builds in intensity with hypnotic vocal chanting before launching into extended Keyboard and Guitar interplay, sounding very classical. The main song begins with a pounding rhythm and innovative wordplay from Claire. There are further highly organised instrumental passages. The use of tricky time signatures is done with ease and actually groove very naturally. There is a beautiful atmospheric section and then another new section with a different groove and lyrics referring to paying the ferryman to get to the other side. We are then lead to another highly organised instrumental in 5/8 with repeated motives interspersed with highly original solos evocative of Howe and Wakeman's interplay. This leads to a beautiful ending at approx. 22 minutes. The next 2 tracks (each over 14 mins) follow similar paths with varied lead interplay between Day & Hunt and great grooves, riffs and acoustic atmosoheric passages. Claire Hamill's vocals and lyrics are highly varied and highlight vocal syles that match the music well from delicate acoustic to full-on rock.

I love the work of Claire Hamill, Oliver Day, and Max Hunt, and I enjoy a lot of music that emanated from the band YES--I might even be interested in seeing a tribute band if one came close to me--but bands motivated by near-perfect replication of a single band's sound and songs, though impressive, usually bore me. (How many Yeses, Genesises, King Crimsons, VDGGs, and Focuses do we really need?) I listened with great interest to this band's debut release from last year, Golden Fragments, but, in the end, dismissed it as four talented artists who had too much time on their hands during COVID lockdowns. But now, with a 2021 release to follow up, I am thinking that these guys are serious! They really want to create new Yes-like music.

Well, the plastic sound of the drum heads weren't enough to drive me crazy, the Yes similarities are just too close--even with Claire's crystalline female voice on top. If there's one saving grace, the bass play is neither mixed as far forward or as busy as his Yes -counterpart, the late great Chris Squire. A 21-minute multi-part epic followed by two fourteen minute suites. The former is respectful and unobtrusive--and not over the top bombastic--more like a MAGENTA composition--and I have to admit that Ms. Hamill's performance is rather charming. Oliver Day adds enough of his own style and sound selection to not be too obvious as a Steve Howe replicant and multi-instrumentalist Max Hunt does an admirable job with several key tracks, including the bass and background vocals. I'd give it a (39.25/45) rating--(It would have been higher were it not for the too-near "Starship Trooper" finale).

2. "Yours and Mine" (14:26) unfortunately, sees the band trying a bit too hard to get really close to several famous Yes songs--perhaps even to merge several. And then Claire's lackluster Heather Findlay-like vocal practically ruins it. (Sorry to be so direct, Ms. Hamill, but, what a corny lyric! I feel so embarrassed and pandered to! I'll have to go back to the magic of "Icicle Rain" and Voices just to clear my head and cleanse my palette.) (24/30)

3. "The Golden Ring of Time" (14:09) Max is no Rick Wakeman. Then they have the gall to steal Chris' melodic hook from Schindleria Præmaturus! And those galloping plastic drums! There's just a series of instrumental hooks lifted directly from Yes songs and flaunted as if this were truly a song of homage. A fair song if I weren't so distracted by every other minute's presentation of Yes-familiar riffs. Still, this is the most memorable song of the album--and thus my favorite. (26/30)

C/three stars; for curious Yes fans only.

FRAGILE is the tribute group of YES. I only know them since last year to distill a melodic rock based on the voice of Claire who collaborated with Steve HOWE and Jon ANDERSON. The group therefore decided to embark on the musical bath; inspired and daring to confront their creations with obvious reminiscences, we don't erase twenty years of cover like that, the Oliver of That Joe PAYNE, Russ and Max on guitars, drums and bass-keyboards offer three long tracks (14 to 22 minutes ) mixing and stirring from near and far notes with a Yessian declination.

3 tracks that take on the symphonic approaches of their masters, singular sound associations with a style of their own where reminiscences are only made at the bend of the five breaks, a voice bordering Kate BUSH for the 1st opus. We then dig into the discography of the first tracks with a bass and vintage keyboards, Claire's voice sends me back to my first hearings of YES amazed by the voice; halfway through an acoustic break gives more intensity, a bucolic ballad, the last break goes on "Relayer" with the divine organ and a well-chartered acoustic piano interlude. The last one has jazzy sounds on a retro background; we can find Oldfield tunes there, the intense drums allow a nice battle of keyboards. There you have it, no more comments since these 3 titles will vibrate differently inside your body.

FRAGILE will make you plunge into the classical and symphonic atmospheres of the seventies. A sound that is meant to be inventive while remaining in familiar territory, a retro vintage journey meant to deviate from one of the four progressive pillars, it is up to you to say if it does. This group is showing with this album that we can make very good retro-prog without it being vintage, used and without pure creation; here on the contrary, you will go to virgin musical lands where beauty will flood you.