COLOURS CAFFÉ

As happened with many Eastern European countries, the countries in the last century that were beyond the so- called Iron Curtain, Romenia wasn't properly known to be a hot bed for the progressive rock scene. Probably the most know and best progressive rock bands that were born in Romania in the golden era of prog, the 70's, were Phoenix and Sfinx. Phoenix, that was founded in Timisoara in 1962, had an interesting career and was responsible for have written some of the best prog pages on three of the best Romanian albums ever. Sfinx, that was founded in Bucharest in 1963, had a shorter live, but the two albums of the 70's are two very good works, especially the second one. But, since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, some new Romanian prog rock bands were born, among them Yesterdays.

Yesterdays is a symphonic progressive rock band that was founded in Cluj Napoca in 2000. The band plays a complex blend of several styles, basically being a classic symphonic prog band with some jazzy and folk atmospheres. As the band explains, the classical music, jazz, fusion and the traditional music are the main ingredients of their sound. The members of the band grew up listening The Beatles, Yes, Gentle Giant and Pink Floyd. They also say that the classical side of the renaissance music is essential for the usage of polyphonic vocals, besides classic composers like Debussy, Ravel, Bartók and Stravinsky. Despite Yesterdys is a Romanian band, they belong to the Hungarian minority of Western Romania. So, the lyrics are in both English and Hungarian. So, Hungarian folk music is also a very important source.

"Colours Caffé" is the second studio album of Yesterdays and that was released in 2010. The line up on "Colours Caffé" is Horváth Linda (lead vocals), Bogáti-Bokor Ákos (vocals, guitars and keyboards), Enyedi Zsolt (keyboards), Kecskeméti Gábor (flute), Kolumbán Zoltán (bass guitar) and Csergő Domokos (drums). "Colours Caffé" had also the participation of Antal Karola, Ercsey Andrea Emese, Stutz Timea and Horváth Hanna (vocals), Mohai Tamás (guitar), Mihai Sorohan (trumpet), Borlai Gergő (drums) and Kósa Dávid (percussion). All these artists are guest musicians.

"Colours Caffé" is an album that contains only strong pieces of music. The album has been rooted very strong in the progressive rock music of the 70's, in the vein of Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson, Renaissance and Yes. These bands had their heydays in that decade and their music revives on "Colours Caffé". This blends of the 70's prog and fusion works very well here and is worthwhile listening to. The band really achieved something special here. Especially the magnificent keyboard and guitar parts lift this album to a high quality level. The electric guitar and synthesizer solos are performed well and are enjoyable to listen to. That also applies to the voice of Horváth Linda that sings very gently.

The opener "Játék" is a cheerful song with a nice vocal refrain and late 70's synth sounds, a hopping rhythm, a good mood and still with a dash of a true progressive atmosphere. "Forog A Tánc" is a dynamic song with catchy chorus in the style of Yes. It has nice flute melodies and the second part of the song has prog instrumental parts with a guitar solo in Holdsworth's style. "Námafilm Szvit" is a suite divided in three parts "Éjszaka", "Némafilm" and "Mélyrepülés". It's a nice twenty minutes epic that can be heard by effortlessly and where the different sections are seamlessly segued by melody rich interludes, delightful and remarkable flute passages, lots of Mellotron string sounds and the versatile beautiful vocals by Horváth Linda. "Tükör" is a good choice after the big suite, a short folk piece with acoustic guitars and nice flute parts. "Bábu" is the most fun track on the album, a jazzy piece with a retro sound. This is a Jethro Tull's inspired track, a tune with a great Moog sound and a flute extravaganza. "Flautoccata" is a mysterious wonderful short track with a synth and a flute duet plus some subtle guitar playing. "Megpihensz" is a melancholic ballad beautifully sung by Horváth Linda with colorful vocals, nice acoustic guitars and with the presence of the Mellotron. "Prelúdium Egy Esőhöz" is a short intro piece for "Zápor". It includes the trumpet of Mihai Sorohan and a crystal clear guitar work. "Zápor" closes the album in a nice way. It's one of the most accessible tracks on the album with catchy melodic lines, pretty harmonies, fine instrumentation and a beautiful vocal line. There's also a short hidden track with a delicate work.

Conclusion: "Colours Caffé" is a feel-good album par excellence. This is a little gem to be discovered with many catchy tunes. The pure joy of playing of the band that comes towards you is contagious. "Colours Caffé" is a great album with a light progressive atmosphere. The music is a good mix of pop, classical, jazz and progressive influences. It's a fine album and one that become more enjoyable with every listen. I like the use of the flute on the album because it gives the album some folksy and classical atmosphere. I also want to mention the tasteful keyboards that we can hear on the album and with Horváth Linda the band has found a good singer. I've no problem the band sings in Hungarian. The atmosphere of the music isn't affected. This is highly recommended for those who like the melodic prog rock style.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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