SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: YES – AURORA

YES
AURORA
INSIDEOUT

Aurora is the second Yes album featuring the lineup of Jon Davison (lead vocals acoustic guitars), Steve Howe (guitars banjo guitar, mandolin, autoharp and vocals), Geoff Downes (organ, synthesizers, piano, keyboards, Minimoog, celeste), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals), and Jay Schellen (drums and percussion). The first album featuring this lineup was 2023’s Mirror To The Sky. Since that album, the band has really established itself and with years of touring now behind them have formed their own distinct sound in the ongoing legacy of Yes.

Aurora is prog rock and it is excellent prog rock. Howe’s guitar work throughout the album is outstanding, but it is matched with Schellen’s restrained yet expressive drumming and Downes uses his keyboards to layer sound but at times it is the star of the show. Davison has never sounded better. His vocals are forceful and remarkably gentle throughout and he has never sounded more confident.

The overarching concept of Aurora, is to utilize the idea of the Northern Lights as a metaphor for both natural wonder and inner illumination. The album is not so much a story as it is more of a theme. Although it is a concept album, Yes left room for the band to have fun and experiment with sound. “Countermovement,” for example, starts off with some fun playing from the band before it settles into a sublimely beautiful song searching for humanity in a world with ever growing AI.

SPILL FEATURE: FIVE MEMBERS WORKING TOGETHER IN HARMONY – A CONVERSATION WITH JON DAVISON OF YES

Aurora is very reminiscent of classic Yes albums. Not in terms of style or songs, but the fact that all the members contributed to the writing and recording of the tracks. The songs evolve through the band working together, and as a result the band has an album that is really a band effort. And more importantly there are moments of pure joy and the band sounds like they are having a ball. While prog and the theme of the album is serious, there is still room throughout for the band to inject some fun and whimsy int the music and songs.

Yes has produced a new masterpiece with Aurora. Anyone doubting that this is a band and the album is a band effort needs to simply listen to it. Melodies flow, the musicianship across the board is top notch and the songs are stunning. Through their imagery, music and production, they have created an incredible album that proves to be more interesting and better with each listen. In some ways this feels like Yes returning to form, but it is really Yes continuing to grow with one eye and foot in their history.

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