Yes - Aurora
by Kevin Wierzbicki
What a great title for the latest album from these titans of prog rock!
Aurora is full of dynamic music that comes alive in the ether with sounds as unpredictable as the magnificent cosmic phenomenon the album is named after. You would expect nothing less from Yes, here comprised of singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, keys player Geoff Downes, bass man and multi-instrumentalist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen. The effort begins with the title cut and "Aurora" opens with a dramatic, orchestrated flourish of keyboards; longtime fans will hear hints of very early Yes in the song, especially in the bass and Howe's guitar work, with Davison singing about looking inward as well as to the heavens. There's a pretty good hook in the brief chorus too, basically just a reading of the word "aurora." Seems simple enough but listeners will find that long after the song stops playing audibly that the words remain echoing through the mind. "Turnaround Situation" is not as sneaky with its approach; it has vocal and instrumental hooks galore and will especially resonate with fans of the band's 90125 era. Howe's acoustic guitar playing provides a shimmering intro to "Love Lies Dreaming" and highlights the overall arrangement, encouraging blissful reverie. Some listeners may initially get a bit of a shock a couple minute into the 13 minute-plus "Countermovement," the album's centerpiece, when the vocals begin. It is Howe taking a turn at the mic, somewhat of a rarity for Yes. The lengthy song allows for the guys to really get into a groove; eventually Davison joins in on the vocals and there's a segment that musically references the vintage sounds of "I've Seen All Good People" and "Roundabout" while lyrics take a shot at the undesirable aspects of artificial intelligence. "Ariadne" finds inspiration in Greek mythology and again there's a very hooky chorus that derives from the way Ariadne's name is sung. Howe rocks hard with electric guitar to open "All Hands on Deck;" at about three minutes the song is uncharacteristically short but packs a memorable punch in that time, and again Howe handles some of the vocals. Harmony vocals, almost Beach Boys-like, highlight "Outside the Box," bringing the effort to the sublime closer, "Emotional Intelligence." There is a version of
Aurora that includes two bonus tracks, "Jambustin'" and "Watching the River Roll."
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