Aurora
Yes · Progressive Rock
Reviewed 2026-06-12
The Roast
“Čestitke, Yes. Objavili ste vaš 24. studijski album, što je ili spomenik ljudske istrajnosti ili dokaz da niko u vašem menadžmentu ne zna da izgovori reč 'dosta'. Aurora stiže 2026. godine preko InsideOut Music i Sony-ja, i ona upotpunjuje ono što Jon Davison naziva 'trifectom' sa The Quest i Mirror to the Sky. Trifecta, Jon. To je termin iz konjičkih trka. Vi ste prog rok bend koji ima Czech National Symphony Orchestra na brzom biranju. Budžet za metafore je očigledno razvučen onoliko tanko koliko i inspiracija. Louder Sound je to već primetio, nazvavši ploču albumom 'koji se oslanja na mišićnu memoriju umesto na pravu inspiraciju,' i iskreno, taj račun boli jer mišićna memorija je tačno ono kako ovo zvuči: pet veoma talentovanih profesionalaca koji rade ono što su uvek radili, iz svojih kućnih studija, putem udaljenog rada, jer je Classic Tales of YES turneja očigledno toliko iscrpila sve da više biti u istoj prostoriji nije dolazilo u obzir. Da budemo pošteni, Geoff Downes je početkom 2025. obećao da će Aurora biti 'mnogo progresivnija od poslednjih nekoliko albuma,' i da, doveli ste ceo simfonijski orkestar pod dirigentskom palicom Vladimira Martinke, tako da je ambicija tehnički prisutna na papiru. Ali ambicija na papiru i ambicija na traci su dve sasvim različite stvari. Glide Magazine je diplomatski primetio 'trenutke sjaja uprkos neravnomernom putovanju,' što se u kritičarskom govoru prevodi kao: dobri delovi su zaista dobri, a ostatak je punilo u plaštu. Deset numera plus dva bonus snimka pod nazivom 'Jambustin'' i 'Watching the River Roll' sugeriše da niste ostali bez ideja koliko ste odbili da uredite one koje ste imali. 'Jambustin'' je naziv bonus numere koji zvuči kao odbačeno ime za dodatak ishrani sa vlaknima, a postavili ste ga na deluxe artbook izdanje koje dolazi i na svetlozelenom vinilu. Estetika je besprekorna. Kuracija je velikodušna do greške. Steve Howe jeste uzeo portugalsku 12-žičanu gitaru, što je iskreno najinteresantnija kreativna odluka na ploči i jedini trenutak kada se čini da je neko u prostoriji postao radoznao umesto udoban. Roger Dean i njegova kćerka Freya Dean su se pobrinuli za vizuelni identitet, i naravno da izgleda zapanjujuće, jer Roger Dean nikada nije vizuelno iznevjerio ni jedan Yes album, čak ni kada muzika unutra daje sve od sebe da klizi bez napora. Prodali ste 500 primeraka vinila boje grožđa ekskluzivno kroz vašu prodavnicu, što je šarmantno na način 'bend koji prodaje robu sa sklopivog stola'. Aurora je ploča koja voli Yes fanove i očekuje da je Yes fanovi vole bezuslovno, i za najodanije medu njima, taj ugovor će se sasvim dobro održati.”
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The Bright Side
Steve Howe koji seže po portugalsku 12-žičanu gitaru je najuzbudljiviji trenutak albuma i dokaz da prava radoznalost još uvek živi negde u ovom bendu. Czech National Symphony Orchestra dodaje pravu orkestralnu težinu koja podiže ploču iznad puke nostalgije, i Prog Report nije pogrešio nazvavši je najjačim albumom Jon Davison ere do sada. Vizuelni rad Rogera i Freye Dean je predvidivo prelepo i dokazuje da su neke tradicije vredne čuvanja tačno onakve kakve jesu.
Hardest Sneer
“Vaš 24. album je toliko udoban da je u suštini stekao svest i zatražio papuče.”
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Issues (4)
Muscle Memory Is Not a Creative Strategy
Receipt
Louder Sound called Aurora an album 'relying on muscle memory rather than real inspiration,' and the remote home studio workflow used to develop it suggests the band never even had to look each other in the eye to make creative decisions.
Fix
Get in a room together. Physical proximity creates friction, and friction creates choices. The Portuguese 12-string moment proves Howe still has surprises in him when he reaches for something unfamiliar. Build a whole album around that instinct instead of one track.
The Trifecta Nobody Asked For
Receipt
Jon Davison described Aurora as completing a 'trifecta' with The Quest (2021) and Mirror to the Sky (2023), framing three albums in five years as a planned artistic arc rather than what Glide Magazine politely called an 'uneven journey.'
Fix
Trilogies need internal contrast to justify the concept. If you are going to sell three albums as a unified statement, the third entry needs to feel like a culmination, not a continuation. Define what Aurora resolves that the first two left open, and make that resolution audible.
'Jambustin'' Is a Bonus Track Title, Not a Song Title
Receipt
The album ships with two bonus tracks: 'Jambustin'' and 'Watching the River Roll.' One of these sounds like a spontaneous studio experiment that was correctly identified as not quite album-worthy and then incorrectly included anyway on a premium deluxe format.
Fix
Bonus tracks on a deluxe artbook edition should be rarities that reward serious fans, not jam sessions with playful names that undercut the orchestral seriousness you spent the rest of the album building. Cut 'Jambustin'' or rename it something that belongs on the same record as a Czech symphony orchestra.
The Grape Vinyl Is Doing More Marketing Work Than the Music
Receipt
A grape-colored vinyl limited to 500 copies sold via the band's official store is a smart collectible move, but when the most talked-about aesthetic choice on a release is the color of the physical format rather than any specific musical moment, your packaging is outperforming your songs.
Fix
Let the music generate the conversation and let the vinyl be a reward for people already converted. That means front-loading press coverage with the Czech orchestra arrangements and the Portuguese 12-string work, not the color of the wax.