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Circa: 2007
This is a powerhouse quartet fronted by the famous Billy Sherwood and
accompanied by Tony Kaye and Alan White. Yes, these are the members of
Yes. Plus, they have a sidekick named Jimmy Haun, who is much more than
a journeyman in this fable. Arguably, he is the madrigal who makes this
brood meld. His guitars provide relief to an already atmospheric
tapestry.
That aside, I saw these four yes-man in concert once upon a time. It was
loud and noxious, and it seemed as if the deafening decibels were
intended to hide deficiencies -- since they were far from regal on this
particular eve. Nevertheless, they must have attended that ball way past
their bedtime as little dearth is found in their studio output. Apart
from a few anemic tracks and passages such as the follow-up to the
opener entitled “Don’t Let Go”, there are more strong points than chinks
in their chain mail (So much so that you’ll require armor-piercing
bullets if you’re foolish enough to challenge these knights to a duel).
Ironically, their best song is parlayed in the epilogue. While these
pillars are imposing, countless treasures are found within their castle
walls. Regardless, “Cut The Ties” splashes on the moat like a rigid
drawbridge. Yet, “Information Overload” and “Look Inside” add to the
myth in later chapters. The former brings Van Halen’s “Right Here, Right
Now” to the forefront whereas the latter is a cornucopia of bass and
synths in the vein of Spock’s Beard and K2. Moreover, Michael Sherwood’s
vocoder is spray-painted all over various vestibules of their citadel.
When midnight arrives, the carriage morphs into a pumpkin and it’s time
to take flight. “Brotherhood of Man” leaves us on a proper note ala the
flotsam of Pink Floyd. This song insists that the listener try it on for
size again in the not-so-distant future.
For a retroactive band, the jewel case that wraps this slipper is quite
contemporary with a clean font overlaying a gradient pool of grayish
flesh. And with this addendum in the books, there aren’t any other
significant details left to report.
In retrospect, this foursome is on equal footing with Prince Charming;
hosting a masquerade of enchanting melodies. Though for some reason, the
yarn seems better retold from disc than live. As they say, you had to
NOT be there, and this album is the perfect way to perceive this league
of legendary players.
8/10
Josh Turner
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Website
Discography
Leaving Lotus (2007)
Fraktal (2005)
Always Home (2002) |
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