A little over a year after the release of their self-titled album, Arc of Life is back with a second opus called "Don't Look Down". Billy Sherwood, the soul of the band, has never made a secret of his deep attachment to the progressive rock dinosaur with the impressive longevity that is Yes. Long-time friend of Chris Squire (with whom he collaborates within Conspiracy), but also of Tony Kaye and Alan White, he intervenes since 1994 punctually but regularly at the time of concerts or on studio albums with the guitar, the keyboards and even with the production of his model group. But he had to wait for the illness and then the death of Chris Squire to become the bass player in Yes in 2015.
No wonder Arc of Life resembles in many ways the London band, and Billy Sherwood does not hide his intention to pay tribute to it in this album. Still, it is necessary to agree on the Yes to which he refers. Because in fifty-three years of career, the group had the time to change several times its musical orientations. It seems that it is to the second period of the life of Yes, the one that extends from "The Yes Album" to "Yessongs", that "Don't Look Down" wants to lean.
As soon as 'Real Time World', we enter straight into the Yes universe: a humming bass more melodic than rhythmic, a high voice resembling Jon Anderson's, atmospheres both luminous and vaporous, frequent changes of themes, rhythmic breaks, melodious tunes but whose elusive lines constantly move away from the verse/chorus structures, so many markers that we find on all the tracks of the album. Heavy passages, groovy moments and new age ambiences alternate in a sunny atmosphere, whether on the long suite 'Arc of Life' or on the shorter tracks.
From the aquatic organ of 'Real Time World' coming straight out of 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' to the theme borrowed from 'Close to the Edge' in 'Colors Come Alive', from the vocal harmonies of 'Don't Look Down' or 'Let Live', dear to Jon Anderson and Chris Squire, to the fast guitar soli of 'All Things Considered' similar to those played many times by Steve Howe, Arc of Life takes a malicious pleasure to mark out the course of the listener of very recognizable gimmicks.
As for all the bands that admire their model to the point of resembling them like two s of water, the line between homage and plagiarism is very thin. Nevertheless, the fidelity that Billy Sherwood has shown for so many years allows him to pose without shame as the continuator of Yes' work. "Don't Look Down" is a very good Yes-like, not always easy to apprehend but, once done, admirable. The complexity of the melodies and the assembly of the different scores played by each musician do honor to the progressive of the origins. Just like Yes did in the 70's!