THE QUEST

YES returns, YES releases their 21st album just after the pandemic; YES, which has fewer and fewer original members, can it still do YES after its last controversial releases? 8 tracks including 4 with paragraphs, the pleasure of dreaming of the famous progressive drawers inside said track, just that makes you want to. Well, I'm not going to tell you about the history of the group otherwise you will be hit in the head; go let's see what it's all about.

"The Ice Bridge" immense, the title I imagined, boosted, convoluted, energetic Yes with its lockers and other drawers, everything to forget the absent members, a simply bucolic pleasure which confirms that the mayonnaise is always well taken. "Dare to Know" softer, too predictable, I begin to understand the outburst of certain columnists, then digress with Steve's eternal guitar and there it (re) becomes beautiful as in the good old days; final where the magic guitar still has an effect in a decrescendo; note the simultaneous singing of Jon and Steve on it. "Minus the Man" and the romantic ballad embellished with violins, the voice that looks like Jon, the one whose early fans have not yet digested his departure / ousting, the bass well accentuated also to imitate, the guitar seems on the other hand, she is still so young, a title that is in fact overdone. "Leave Well Alone" and its Japanese intro in the pure tradition, a more complex piece than it seems with a starting song which will be boosted by one of Steve's most beautiful solos for ages, paradox of the sensation between used and magnificent or Magnification? ; a sound that I heard in the last CARAVAN which makes me say that we are in the original Yes no matter what.

"The Western Edge" and a track that will draw on the sounds of yesteryear with bass, vocals and keyboards; finale with marshmallow guitar explosion, syrupy but oh so melting, too short on the other hand lacking a progressive moment. "Future Memories" arrives with its acoustic rhyme to tell himself that Jon doesn't just have his first name, he has a voice; digression like on an "old" track from the GENESIS with the Hackett which gives off some pleasurable notes, but hey Howe also has a hell of a handle; rhythmic, nervous, current bar emotion. "Music to My Ears" starts off with a different, harmonic, delicate, ethereal tune; hilarious track far from the sound still flowing in my ears, heady chorus, reassuring guitar, regressive ballad rhyme, track running out of steam. "A Living Island" for the last title, pompous, musical and vocal hymn, bordering on symphonic pop, beautiful but overplayed, a very good ersatz of the group; this finale which goes back to the fundamentals of the first tracks with a very up-to-date, creative and yessian soul, which goes back to the second side of the album if you enjoyed having it on LP.

The CD or LP2 with "Sister Sleeping Soul" borderline country folk ballad, everything is well placed, but too short, too predictable? "Mystery Tour" title twice that's good it's on the bonus, all that to say that it's cutesy pop and that luckily it has nothing to do with the main CD, except this recognizable and enjoyable guitar among all. "Damaged World" on the track where the synths seem to come from GENESIS 2nd epoch, yet another consensual track, Canterburyen for the final orchestral development, goes everywhere.

YES released a very good album with undeniable charm, resolutely optimistic and faithful in this sense to the spirit of the group, of origin or of different eras. YES can sleep soundly, he still has some under the sole but a punchy title longer than 3 bland bonuses would have been an undeniable plus; in short, glad to have listened to it from all angles to make this little mumble. If the 3.5 existed I would have put it, too bad it will be 4 to fight against the irreducible.