Steve Hackett never lacks ideas for an album. This one has the master guitarist drawing from his excursions around the Mediterranean, for an acoustic record on which he plays not only guitar but also slightly more esoteric instruments such as the oud and charango.
Joined by keyboard player Roger King, flautists Christine Townsend and John Hackett, Malik Mansurov on tar, Arsen Petrosyan on duduk, and Hackett’s wife Jo helping out on vocals, Hackett weaves complex yet engaging music that evokes the romantic spirit of that part of the world.
This isn’t the type of album that has to be played constantly, but one to dip into occasionally, when there’s a desire to relax and lose oneself in a world far removed from the harsh realities of everyday life, with music doused in elegance and mystery.
