By making a second disc, the band is making a principled artistic statement: disc one is the album and disc two has the bonus tracks. I also love how the best of their music is centred on simple memorable melody but arranged to otherworldly status. Steve Howe's persistence and dedication have paid off, and the late Chris Squire's selection of Billy Sherwood has here been repaid in spades - he has genuine presence and his supporting vocals are eerily reminiscent of the master.

Steve Howe finally gets to play a really good, memorable solo that is flashy, smart, and not just a rip-off of one of his earlier compositions. s, and thus at time hedged in the direction of "sing-song-y" on the last two albums as well as on tour. Well, that depends in which type of Yes fan you are: a lover of the breakthrough The Yes Album, which defined the group’s sound and positioned the group high in the progosphere, or maybe your preference is the New Wave-influenced Tormato? During instrumental passages, I was silently thrilled to read in the liner notes about exactly which guitars Steve Howe used on each track! The group produced two versions of "Luminosity", having felt a new arrangement was needed after recording the first.I think its the best work since Fly From Here and has the best long form track since Fly from Here, even better than the long form track on FFH. It is their first studio album with American drummer Jay Schellen as a full-time member following the death of long-time Yes drummer Alan White in 2022, to whom the album is dedicated; Schellen had frequently filled in as drummer for White since 2016, and had performed percussion as a guest on the band's previous album, 2021's The Quest.

The fact is that Mr Steve Howe, legendary guitar player is willing to keep the band alive and going strong, as this is their second release into the 2020s, some two years after 'The Quest', a record that was received positively enough. When the ripples of the water had settled, Dean said that "the lake became a perfect mirror to a very brilliant night sky", an experience that Rogers said was like being in space.

And for Mirror to the Sky, this makes sense, because disc one has the unifying thread of the use of a studio orchestra on all six tracks. Steve Howe’s still with the band, though he did have a 16-year absence from the band from 1981-1997.

Cut from the Stars" was primarily inspired by Davison's first visit to a dark-sky preserve at Joshua Tree National Park with his brother and father, who encouraged him to appreciate nature. A good song, Steve Howe is just as good as ever, however, I must mention one downfall of the album, and it is a MAJOR pitfall. Is it a retread of The Quest, which on the surface felt like a bit of a tribute act to past glories?It's not completely the Yes of the past, but there are still some spiritual connections with some eras of the band. Gary Graff gave a positive review for Ultimate Classic Rock, hailing the album as "even better" than The Quest with the group adopting a more aggressive and "muscular" sound. Davison’s vocals might dampen the impact of many songs, but it’s good to hear they’re actually writing solid songs again. Sherwood’s bass playing is flashy, and Howe’s soloing is speedy, technical, and engaging in a way it hasn’t been in a long, long time. Like for its predecessor, guitarist Steve Howe resumed his role as producer, and the FAMES Orchestra in North Macedonia provided orchestral arrangements by Paul K.