GOLDEN FRAGMENTS

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.

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