COLOURS CAFFÉ

Good luck staying in a rotten mood after hearing this. Yesterdays was kind enough to send me a copy of Colours Caffé in exchange for a few words. I have listened to this many mornings on the way to work, and it has never failed to lift my spirits, and I have no idea what that European lady is singing. She has a lovely voice (and a face to match if I may be so bold!). This band has an incredible sense of melody and stylish instrumental breaks. I love the keyboardists' choice of tones. Yes' Fly From Here (and becoming a teacher again) brought me out of a three-year funk; Yesterdays' Colours Caffé has helped keep me up there.

"Játék" One of the happiest introductions to an album ever, this peppy song has a Starcastle likeness with quirky synthesizers, punchy bass, and a beautiful voice that drifts in and out.

"Forog a tánc" The catchiest song on the album is this one; I was cheerfully singing it after hearing it once. It bursts in, early Echolyn style with a happy eccentricity, bouncy instrumentation and handclaps to top it off. The flute flutters over heavier guitar lines. The unbridled guitar solo and drumming remind me of IZZ- a good thing, surely.

"Námafilm Szvit I. Éjszaka" The jovial nature of the music takes a break, allowing the band to explore murkier moods. Yet the music still retains a danceable groove and sultry, captivating vocals. Synthesizer and electric guitar trade off leads over an increasing pace. The melody of the refrain is as brilliant as the whistling synthesizer that follows it.

"Némafilm Szvit II. Némafilm" Springy piano begins this second section. The vocals are more restrained, but as lovely as ever. The guitarist does wonderful things with the wah pedal. The middle passage is quiet piano and Mellotron that eases in like a lullaby.

"Némafilm Szvit III. Mélyrepülés" The third part of this piece is an incredible pop rock track that has a most appealing chorus. The drums become quite energetic toward the end.

"Tükör" This merry little tune is centered around acoustic guitar, flute and jovial singing.

"Bábu" Gritty guitar paves the way for a warbling tone. The song becomes jazzy, with a thin 1960s organ sound and dancing flute. At the end, the guitarist shows off some jazz runs.

"Flautoccata" A thick synthesizer booms in, providing a foundation for the woodwinds.

"Megpihensz" Combing Eastern elements with those appealing vocals, this terse track features sparse piano and serene washes of guitar and keyboards.

"Prelúdium egy esőhöz" This next ephemeral work has a moody guitar and a crying trumpet- think 1950s Miles Davis with a clean-picking Adrian Belew. It is one of the most satisfying parts of the album, and I am sad that it wasn't explored further.

"Zápor" That clean electric guitar remains, and the singer delivers an emotional performance. I think this is a good song, but it is not as memorable as what has come before. It does have a fun guitar solo though. I am generally not a fan of long periods of silence to introduce a "hidden track" (still looking at you, Mastodon). After about two minutes of silence, there is an acoustic guitar and flute duet before one final gorgeous vocal performance.