MIRROR TO THE SKY

After listening to the first 2 tracks I was not too excited. On those tracks, I enjoy Billy's bass and Steve's guitar. It has some influences from the band World Trade which is not a good thing for me. But the album kicks off on another level with the beautiful song "Luminosity" embellished with orchestral arrangements. There is some 70's vibe here and it's when things are quieter that Jon Davison's voice sounds like Jon Anderson. "Living Out Their Dreams" brings things down after the excitement that gives me the previous track. But the "Mirror to The Sky" track things pick up nicely with the most complex song of the album. There are many tempo changes, especially in the second half where the bass and guitars are shining while Geoff Downes's keys are still in the background. I can hear some influences from the albums "Drama" and Fly From Here". Nice peaceful and dreamy passages with orchestral arrangments before the end. "Circles of Time" is a ballad, a vocal song where Jon shows his voice. "Unknown Place" has an unusual intro for Yes that is sounding more like a Peter Gabriel song. For the first time, we can hear a brief keyboard part reminiscent of Rick Wakeman. The album ends with 2 not memorable songs. So it's funny that the first and last 2 tracks are the weakest of the album. The songs in the middle of the album have enough quality to make it a pleasant experience. It's not completely the Yes of the past, but there are still some spiritual connections with some eras of the band. I wish we can hear more in the mix of Geoff Downes's keyboards. Nevertheless, it's a good album.