THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE

Although he's been out of Genesis for well over 47 years, STEVE HACKETT more than any other member of that band has retained the spirit of the progressive rock 70s and has done more as a solo artist to celebrate the prog years of Genesis than that band has ever done for itself. Add to that HACKETT has been quite prolific in his output since his debut "Voyage Of The Acolyte" all the way back in 1975 and despite nearly 50 years of releasing well over 30 albums, it seems there's no sign of him slowing down. And here in 2024 we find ourselves with another installment of the STEVE HACKETT universe with THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE.

After spending the last decade more or less revisiting his symphonic prog roots, THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE takes on a different stylistic approach which is more varied and more theatrical with touches of hard rock, flamenco and jazz mixed in with the usual symphonic prog and classically tinged guitar magic that HACKETT has been cranking out for almost five decades. As a legend in the world of prog, HACKETT now has the luxury to record at his own leisure and finds an army of supporting musicians to assist him on this one including Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D'Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as the percussionists with Benedict Fenner on keyboards.

The album title gives a hint of what to expect with this one. It truly is an eclectic work that doesn't really fit into any particular categorization. The CIRCUS really has come to town and the NIGHTWHALE is ready to deliver a great show, STEVE HACKETT style. Supposedly a concept album of some sort (well aren't ALL prog albums these days?!!!), i honestly am not sure what the theme really is and it doesn't really matter too much since it's the music that counts. STEVE delivers a wide array of sounds and styles throughout this run of 13 tracks with his outstanding guitar and mandolin playing heard all throughout. At 74, HACKETT may not be breaking any new ground on this one but he certainly holds his own and crafts catchy compositions that showcase some nice production and diversity.

The album features plenty of slow burners such as the tender ballad "Ghost Moon And Living Love" as well as more upbeat rockers such as "Get Me Out." The mandolin-rich "Circo Inferno" with its Arabian musical scales takes you for a journey east bound only with some hard rock outbursts and a sizzling sax solo. "Breakout" jumps into an unexpected heavy metal style with blistering guitar workouts and delectable lead guitars which demonstrates that HACKETT has lost none of his guitar playing mojo over the years. "All At Sea" offers yet another surprise with an ambient synthesized abstractness with a few guitar tricks thrown in and basically serves as an intro for "Into The Nightwhale" which remains dreamy and laid back never really shaking the ambient backing.

THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE demonstrates quite clearly that STEVE HACKETT is still alive and going strong and its filled with some really enjoyable music but like the majority of his output he simply fails to take the extra steps necessary to offer something truly compelling that will beckon return visits. In fact he seems on simply recycling various experiments that he's been cranking out his entire career. For true fans this album won't disappoint at all but if you're seeking something comparable to his debut or "Spectral Mornings" then you won't find that consistency here. HACKETT suffers from the age old problem of quantity over quality and most of his albums reflect that. While he never delivers an unlistenable product, very few of them deliver something revolutionary or applicable to the modern day. A decent album but not an outstanding one either.