SAINT​-​EXUP​É​RY ÁLMA

The world of concept albums has always been close to my heart. It feels great to follow a story, especially if it's as beloved as Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince.'

We are dealing with music truly inspired by YES, from somewhere between the 'Fragile' and 'Close To The Edge' albums, yet Yesterdays' music feels very fresh, full of symphonic prog goodness.

'Rajzolj át' feels just like Chris Squire playing bass. Strong chorus, virtuoso solos, a captivating rhythm. The middle part seems like a lost section from 'The Gates of Delirium' all of it with distinctive female vocals. The coda at the end of the song is a real treat for early YES fans.

Once we've warmed up and tuned into the album, the second song truly takes us by surprise, 'Úgy várj majd rám' It's undoubtedly one of the album's strongest points. It has everything we love in this style and it showcases the band's fantastic songwriting skills. They don't get lost in long, dull sections; it's concise, with a dreamy middle section (reminiscent of Harmonium), and a brutally virtuoso solo series. All of this is superbly arranged and produced.

'Estekék' tells the story of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's days after an emergency landing in the desert. The dark moods are emphasized by a strict unison melody: bass guitar, electric guitar, and Moog Taurus.

The longest song on the album follows, 'Esőtánc (Rain Dance)', bringing back the golden age of progressive rock. It has it all: a symphonic intro played on the mellotron with plenty of Moog, piano runs reminiscent of Locanda Delle Fate, Renaissance music-inspired musical sections, a Gentle Giant-inspired vocal fugue, lyrical moments reminiscent of 'Heart of the Sunrise,' a Steve Howe-style acoustic intermezzo, rich background vocals (rare in today's prog music), melodic refrains, and recurring themes. From the recent prog releases, this is my favorite composition. The album's peak.

A Supertramp-inspired song with beautiful harmonies and a guitar-flute duel reminiscent of The Flower Kings follows, evoking the theme of 'Close To The Edge' in a symphonic arrangement.

'Panoptikum' is a delicate piano transition into a meaningful song, 'A Méreg' In this song, we hear the band's former keyboardist, Zsolt Enyedi, for the last time. He passed away at a young age in 2020 due to a tragic stroke. The band dedicated this album to his memory.

The song 'Engedj el' summarizes 'The Little Prince' story, focusing on letting go. Strong influences from YES and Genesis are evident here. This will undoubtedly be a wonderful concert song. If the band can perform at the level I've seen on YouTube, I'm even more excited to experience this music live.

All in all, I can welcome a new favorite into my collection. I wholeheartedly recommend this album to everyone, especially those who, like me, haven't come across Yesterdays' fourth album before. A masterpiece!

Share this YESTERDAYS review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Menadel88
• Report this review (#2964023)
• Buy YESTERDAYS music online with PA partners
• Show all YESTERDAYS MP3/Stream
• Go to YESTERDAYS page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Saint​-​Exup​é​ry álma page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for YESTERDAYS related discussions