Yes have returned with their first new studio album in a decade, Fly From Here. The release also marks the debut of new vocalist Benoit David as well as the return of former keyboardist Geoff Downes and producer Trevor Horn. Yes' sound is unmistakable and trace it back to vocal harmonies, arrangements, instrumentation or what many just call mysticism. Many of their albums can be seen as growing things... let's go with the multiple limbs trees with a solid base.
Fly From Here is no different. It is also the title of the 6-part trunk supporting a stand-out track like "We Can Fly" which branches off and reaches onward and upward for a bit more sun. A direct extension of that melodic limb is the breathtaking "Sad Night At The Airfield." I get chills from that one. "Bumpy Ride" is frenzied and exactly as advertised -- taxiing you back to the "We Can Fly (Reprise)." "The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be" is a solid song that someone could build a treehouse on. "Hour Of Need" just fills the room and is quite a distinct path from the other tracks. You could even call it a meandering branch. "Solitaire" is a stunning little instrumental leading to the full-throttle "Into The Storm."
You may notice that I didn't cite specific stand-out performances by the band members. I have to say that I just can't here. This is such a cohesive Yes release with each piece so vital that I wouldn't want to pull anything apart and hear it as less than the whole. No parachute nor Dramamine needed for this flight. Fly From Here is a steady ride that soars!
4 out of 5
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