One of the fun things about any vibrant musical community is when you start seeing cross-pollination \u2013 players of compatible musical perspectives and tastes coming together in previously unimagined formations. In the ever-fertile prog-rock arena, the latest evidence is Circa. <\/p>\n
Circa is the brainchild of former Yes sideman, producer and member Billy Sherwood, a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter in his own right. Here he plays the role of bassist-vocalist in the John Wetton\/Chris Squire tradition, collaborating with fellow Yessians Alan White (drums\/vocals) and Tony Kaye (keyboards), with Jimmy Haun (credited on Yes\u2019 Union<\/i> album and the Sherwood\/Squire project Conspiracy) taking the guitar slot. <\/p>\n
The end product of this semi-supergroup\u2019s collective vision is a rich stew of modern prog that might feel a touch predictable in places but overall is very tasty. What\u2019s exciting for the longtime Yes fan is just how thoroughly this disc is infused with the Yes sound and ethos. Sherwood, who has played with Squire in both Yes and side project Conspiracy, does a virtual Squire impression here, his bass lines prominent and energetic, his vocals full yet airy. White and Kaye are White and Kaye; this is a compliment with no elaboration necessary. And Haun is a revelation, a musical chameleon who does a better soaring-slide\/nimble-classically-inclined-fretwork Steve Howe impression than anyone I\u2019ve ever heard, while at times also managing to channel his inner Trevor Rabin into some flashier runs. <\/p>\n
The end product sounds a bit like Cinema (the pre-Anderson\/not-yet-Yes early-80s Rabin-Squire-Kaye-White grouping) with a more prog-inclined guitar player, or perhaps Lead-off track \u201cCut The Ties\u201d opens with delicately picked acoustic notes that transition quickly to a bounding Squire-esque bassline with prominent \u201cDon\u2019t Let Go\u201d churns effectively, balancing its essential repetitiveness with some nice instrumental work from Kaye and Haun. \u201cTogether We Are\u201d feels like a lost cut from The Ladder<\/i>, a mid-tempo number that has an adult contemporary ballad feel at first but blossoms nicely halfway through, Haun\u2019s solos trilling away while Sherwood\u2019s multi-tracked vocals soar over the top. <\/p>\n \u201cInformation Overload\u201d is built around an opening, layered a capella chorus that feels like a direct steal from \u201cChildren Of Light\u201d off Keys To Ascension 2<\/i>, an album Sherwood co-produced. It\u2019s a good steal, though, and the song\u2019s continuously morphing arrangement keeps interest up. On \u201cKeeper Of The Flame\u201d it\u2019s Haun\u2019s turn to carry the Yes torch as he executes a spot-on Howe homage, painting soaring slide notes and then layering a series of nimble runs on top. <\/p>\n \u201cLook Inside\u201d has a somewhat obvious self-help lyric (\u201cOnly you can turn your life around\u2026 Look inside yourself\u201d) and Rabin\u2019s hand is evident in the poppy chorus chord progressions, but the song also features a snappy Kaye organ solo and more solid string work from both Sherwood and Haun. <\/p>\n The 12-minute, multi-movement closer \u201cBrotherhood Of Man\u201d hits all the right notes, feeling more like a lost Yes epic than anything the band proper has recorded since 1977. The opening moments of soaring slide over ascending bass runs over loose rolling drums and cymbals immediately reminds you of the opening to \u201cAnd You And I\u201d — and that is once again a high compliment. <\/p>\n Lyrically, the album is a bit bland in places, though its intentions and sentiments are ever positive. But the real question is, in the context from which this group sprang, does 2007<\/i> add musical value? The answer there is an unqualified yes (not Yes). This is lovingly-crafted modern prog featuring superb playing, strong vocals and arrangements, and pristine production. Any Yes-whole or fan of either Cinema or