Yes' 'Mirror to the Sky' - Album Review

Given that the British progressive rock legends Yes have not exactly been the most prolific when it has come to releasing new albums in recent years, I surprised myself in 2021 by including a new Yes album in my Albums of the Year list for that year. Whilst I have been a fan of Yes for quite a few years at this point, I had never really considered myself anything other than a casual listener of the band - but in 2021 and 2022 I gave Yes a lot more attention, largely due to the release of their last album and the fact that they played a small tour warm-up show locally to me. In many ways, though, my revisiting of Yes was long overdue. I have been a prog fan for a long time, but I have often been fairly picky as to which prog bands I explore. Yes' catalogue had only really been given a cursory exploration as a result, but over the last couple of years this changed and I filled in many of the gaps in my Yes collection after revising the classics and devouring 2021's The Quest (which I reviewed here). I had expected to enjoy The Quest on a casual level, but I did not expect it to become one of my most-played albums of 2021. Given that the band's previous album had been the rather lukewarm Heaven & Earth, I do not think that many people were expecting much from The Quest - so I think that it surprised quite a few, as it received pretty decent reviews across the board. Given how long The Quest had taken to put together, too, I do not think that anyone was expecting a follow-up to be released so quickly - but this is what happened last month when Yes dropped their 23rd studio album Mirror to the Sky. Given the pleasing reception which had greeted The Quest, I imagine that the band wanted to capitalise on this momentum and positivity and push forward with a follow-up. Unfortunately for Yes, they have one of those rather obsessively dedicated fanbases who are ultra-critical of everything that the band do - so they are probably used to reading negative reviews. The relative positivity surrounding The Quest was likely welcomed, then, so Mirror to the Sky was born. I also think that the pandemic has had an impact on some veteran bands - and has made them realise that they probably only have a few years left together. A few veteran bands seem to have been spurred on recently to record new music, and I welcome this activity from Yes - particularly given the strength of The Quest. Turning to Mirror to the Sky, in my opinion it is another strong album from the band - and it feels quite similar to The Quest overall. I do not think that this latest album is quite as strong, but it ticks all of the right boxes and contains a number of strong tracks - including a lengthy prog epic. It is the band's first album since the death of long-time drummer Alan White, so is the first to feature Jay Schellen (Hurricane; Unruly Child; World Trade; Asia; Circa) behind the drumkit. Schellen has toured with the band for a number of years, and was credited with percussion on The Quest - but Mirror to the Sky marks his first Yes release as an official band member. Like The Quest, most versions of Mirror to the Sky come with a bonus CD containing three extra songs - but this review will only cover the main album itself and the six songs it includes.

The Quest opened with one of its best songs, and Mirror to the Sky does the same. Cut from the Stars was released as a single ahead of the album's release, and the jaunty number continues the overall vibe of The Quest nicely. The album contains three longer songs and three shorter ones - with Cut from the Stars being on the shorter side. It still contains plenty of Yes-isms, though, showcasing the tightness and confidence of the current line-up. A dancing string motif opens the song, before Schellen's drums roll in - and a busy bassline from Billy Sherwood takes over, which provides the main rhythm throughout. Given that Sherwood co-wrote the song, the focus on the bass throughout is unsurprising. He has filled the late Chris Squire's shoes nicely, and his bass playing throughout this track is reminiscent of that classic Yes sound - whilst Steve Howe adds spiky guitar chords and the odd melodic flourish, and keyboardist Geoff Downes adds colour with his bank of retro keyboards. Frontman Jon Davison delivers throughout, too, his playful vocal melodies and whimsical delivery perfectly accenting Sherwood's busy bassline - as well as leading through a hooky chorus which is one of the album's key earworm moments. There are songs here which are more musically complex, but as far as hooks go Cut from the Stars ticks all the right boxes. Despite their complexity, Yes have never shied away from a pop hook - and this song is full of them. Davison and the busy bass playing provide a lot of interest throughout, but there is also a strong instrumental break, too - which sees Howe and Downes trading guitar and synth melodies back and forth in a busy, yet still melodic, fashion. This whig out closes the song, and it provides a bit of instrumental bite as the track comes to a close - prefacing what is to follow nicely. That which does follow is the longer-form All Connected, the first of two nine-plus minute songs in a row. Whilst Sherwood drove the previous song, All Connected is very much Howe's piece. Given that he is the longest-standing member of the band at this point, it is unsurprising that Howe dominates the album. He took something of a backseat during Cut from the Stars, but All Connected features a lot of his distinctive playing. The song is birthed from a subtle keyboard swell, which soon gives way to some atmospheric guitar leads from Howe - which culminate in some slide licks before Davison starts to sing. Sherwood's bass is still prominent throughout, but his playing is less busy - with his bass playing more convention in nature, despite a few little flourishes to break up the atmospheric guitar backing and more lead-based approach. Davison still manages to make himself heard above this busy mix of sounds, and the song hangs together in that classic Yes manner - with the odd more heroic vocal line and a few subtle harmonies from Sherwood filling out the sound. As hinted at, though, a guitar lead is never too far away, and Davison often steps back to allow Howe to shine. There are a few brief leads early on, but he really steps forward when the song's pace slows - and he delivers some slow-burning leads against a shimmering keyboard backing. This section then transitions into a somewhat funkier section, briefly showcasing the bass, before segueing back into the main verse/chorus melodies which largely dominate the rest of the song - save for Howe's best solo on the album up to this point, which is saved until last.

Following a really strong opening duo, then, the album does take a bit of a dip in quality with its third song Luminosity. Of the six main songs here, it is the only one that has not really clicked with me - and the lengthy song is perhaps not served well by having to follow the stronger All Connected. There are still interesting moments here, though, and the opening instrumental section is one of them - with some snappier guitar rhythms from Howe which soon give way to a more deliberately-paced section featuring pounding bass grooves, warm synths, and some wordless vocals from Davison. This then transitions into a brief piano-led moment, before the verse proper kicks in - with Davison singing warmly against a gentle backing and the odd strum of autoharp. This section does not grab me that significantly, though, but the song does build somewhat - with Downes taking on more of a presence with the occasional keyboard flourish. These sections are weightier, and include a more strident vocal delivery which does enhance the hooks - but for me much of the song is a bit lightweight and a bit pastoral for Yes. Yes have rarely been pastoral, and the laid back electric piano melodies and whimsical guitars which dominate large sections of the song lack the band's trademark bite and quirky rhythms. It is a bit pipe and slippers as a result, but there are still some good ideas to come - and when Howe takes over and launches into the lengthy guitar solo the song comes alive a little more. The solo is certainly at the more atmospheric end of Howe's playing, and lacks his usual jazz diversions, but the note phrasing and use of slide perfectly rings out against Downes' simple, shimmering keyboard backing. It is definitely a solo with a journey, and this lengthy instrumental section essentially fills the song's entire final third. The song ends on a high then, but it is a shame that all of the ideas here do not quite seem to hang together. It may well grow on me further but, as things stand, it is my least favourite track here. Living Out Their Dream is short, and gives the album a bit of a kick following the pastoral previous number. It is the album's heaviest number, and it is built around some spiky guitar chords from Howe and a driving Schellen drum groove - into which some great jazzy guitar flourishes are inserted. Despite this, the song itself is relatively straightforward. Davison and Howe sing the song as a duet, with Howe's deeper voice adding depth to Davison's higher-pitched delivery, whilst Downes' organ rumbles away behind much of the song. It is the only song here which Downes co-wrote, but it is not as keyboard-heavy as might be expected. The song's more organic approach brings the best out of his Hammond, though, and sparkling synths are used elsewhere to add hints of brightness. Another excellent Howe solo acts as a highlight here, too, and the busy instrumental section feels very different to the previous song's closing effort. Howe is much more jazz-inspired here, and the solo has plenty of bite to it as a result - with a closing keyboard flourish also adding to the song's relatively frantic nature before a fairly unexpected fade-out.

The album's epic title track follows and, at just under 14 minutes, it is the longest piece here - and also the most expansive. It opens slowly, with some acoustic guitar and piano melodies - but soon Downes' organ rumbles into view and the song really gets going. Howe's riffing here is very much out of his 1970s playbook, but soon the band veer off into proper prog territory thanks to Sherwood's bass taking over - and there is a bit of a call-and-response established between the guitar and the bass, creating hooky riffs that immediately suck you in. Howe soon solos, too, his melodic playing setting the tone over a busy backing - and the song's opening few minutes see Yes feeling the most prog that they have for a while. Once Davison starts to sing, though, things calm down somewhat - and a more acoustic backing is created. Howe again adds his vocals for depth, and the opening, sparse vocal lines feel quite slow - but this works well to allow the song to grow again from this acoustic base. Given that Howe leads the current Yes line-up, he makes great use of the song's length to stretch out. There are plenty of guitar breaks here, most of which are pretty slow-burning - at least early on. They add plenty of melody to the song, and perfectly add gaps between Davison's vocal-led sections - and they allow the vocal hooks to shine, and there are a number of repeated vocal refrains here which help to keep the song interesting despite its length. Things take something of a darker turn around halfway through, and a bigger keyboard presence takes over - with Davison sounding more mournful as the pace slows. This section soon morphs, including some rolling piano for Davison to sing atop - and also includes some jazzy incursions from Howe, as he adds some biting melodies to this more atmospheric backing. The pace soon slows further, with a slow-burning section creating more of a darkness with chattering synth breaks and swells of effects-heavy guitar - all whilst Sherwood occasionally crashes around with his snappy bass tone. This vibe continues on for quite a while, until a more upbeat acoustic guitar line takes over - and the song starts to build back up again, with dramatic strings adding essentially a purely classical section. The band soon crash back in, though, with Howe leading the jazzy charge, which leads the song through to a dramatic and harder rocking close. Given Mirror to the Sky's excursions, then, it is fitting that the song closes on a more reflective note, with the gentle Circles of Time. The song opens with Davison singing alone, before some acoustic guitars and a simple string backing join him. The song never really grows from this base, with Davison and Howe both armed with acoustic guitars to create the weaving melodies and campfire chords - whilst the strings create a delicate backing. Davison's voice is right at the front of the mix given the simple arrangement, and his higher-pitched delivery perfectly evokes to the tone of Yes singers past - and he shines against the simple backdrop. A short acoustic guitar solo is included, but the song is very much a vocal piece - and it acts well as an album closer, bringing the more expansive set of songs to an atmospheric end. This expansive nature means that there is a lot to like about this album, and Yes fans will certainly find plenty of the band's key sounds and approaches here. I prefer The Quest, but Mirror to the Sky continues to grow on me - and the prevalence of Howe's guitar soloing is certainly welcome. The band generally feel fired up here, too, and this current line-up are adding their own chapter to Yes' long legacy.

The album was released on 19th May 2023 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Cut from the Stars.