Style: Symphonic prog, progressive rock, AOR (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: IQ, Asia, Genesis, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Steven Wilson
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 12 June 2026

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In the treatment of longstanding, well-established prog bands, one has to wonder how much fun the band is actually having. After half a century of writing and touring, does the creative spark still flutter with joy or is the experience closer to clocking in at a nine-to-five, pushing buttons on the make music machine until a product is finished? Symphonic prog legends Yes have, at several points in their career, been accused of standing in front of this proverbial machine and pressing buttons with a cynical, emotionless affect (looking at you, Union). Does the group’s latest release, Aurora, shimmer with creativity, or is its glow simply a product of the prog machine?

In the early 70s, Yes were at the forefront of symphonic prog, helping not only to define its sound through soaring keyboards and multi-part suites but also penning some of the genre’s most accomplished records. In their most contemporary form, Yes indulge in a laid-back, AOR-infused take on symphonic prog with lush keyboards, gentle mid-paced compositions, and interweaving harmonized vocals. At the same time, the group place a strong emphasis on the ‘symphonic’ part of their sound, incorporating film score-esque orchestration (“Aurora”) and centering pieces around regal strings (“Ariadne”). Aurora branches out from a symphonic AOR base by exploring moodier, extended compositions (“Countermovement”) and even features heavier moments (“All Hands on Deck”).

Whereas its predecessor Mirror to the Sky had busy tracks missing a clear focus, Aurora’s compositions are considerably more manageable, taking the time to single out compelling melodies and strong rhythmic backbones. The grooves on “Turnaround Situation” are straightforward but tactile, pairing well with its placid, spacey melodics; the title track’s verses are bouncy and airy as vocalist Jon Davison flutters above sparkling synths; and the choruses of “Love Lies Dreaming” flow with an enchanting, kinetic affect. Even the quirky mid-album cut “Ariadne” keeps its sonic stage clean as it oscillates between waltzing strings and funky, warbly guitars.

On “Ariadne” and beyond, Aurora is compositionally adventurous. “All Hands on Deck” is Yes’ heaviest song in recent memory with a crunchy guitar tone and a thumping drum groove, and “Outside the Box” features an extended a capella section and metallic, droning guitars atop psychedelic keyboard runs. These experiments are admittedly hit or miss, though. The vocal lines on “All Hands on Deck” feel undercooked and aggressively tepid in comparison to its instrumentals, which are themselves missing a bit of weight in the production to really sell its heaviness. Among these experiments, much of Aurora pushes even my limits for cheese—see the almost sappy orchestration that opens the title track—but the melodies of closer “Emotional Intelligence” are the most excessive, coming across as overwhelmingly saccharine and paired with lyrics that are unignorable in the worst way: “You know you gotta talk talk less / Try to hear more more more / Set the stage, clear the ways we can engage”.

The four-part suite “Countermovement” also suffers from, er, challenging lyrics (“Wasted days race by / In the blink of A.I.” and “It’s a feeling so strong, it can’t be wrong / From it I take my cues / It could be jazz or the blues”), but the epic makes up for its shortcomings with harmonic and compositional richness. Its extended opening instrumental features eccentric guitar tones and somber keyboard melodies, giving a much-needed reprieve from Aurora’s relentless sweetness. The following section is undoubtedly cheesy, but with the perfect amount of moderation, and it ends up being ridiculously fun: its sprightly folk guitars hearken back to The Yes Album’s “I’ve Seen All Good People”, and the endlessly singable vocal harmonies echo Crosby Stills and Nash’s “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”. All throughout, motifs reappear across different instruments and interweave the track’s movements into a grand whole.

“Countermovement” could be seen as a microcosm of Aurora, as it’s without a doubt the best track put out by Yes in a long time, striking gold in its exploratory nature, compositional focus, and harmonic intrigue. At the same time, it’s held back from being truly great due to glaring, unignorable flaws. On the album level, these appear as the occasional undercooked melody, uninspiring if not groan-inducing lyrics, and an overly saccharine melodic approach lacking in depth. Despite my criticisms, though, Aurora has me exceedingly optimistic for future Yes releases, as the group seem to be finding their footing in their current incarnation, and most importantly, it sounds like they’re having a bunch of fun while they do it—music making machine be damned!

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Recommended tracks:
You may also like: Glass Hammer, Wobbler, Transatlantic, Kyros
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: InsideOut Music

Yes is:
– Steve Howe: guitars, vocals
– Geoff Downes: keyboards, vocals
– Billy Sherwood: bass, vocals
– Jon Davison: vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion
– Jay Schellen: drums