The album's opener: Strutton Ground is a delightfully melodic opening track.  A nostalgic look at Steve's London roots and there are numerous references to individuals and places within the lyrics to the song.  Musically, this track reminds me to some extent of Genesis' For Absent Friends; there is a definite tinge of wistful melancholy here but never overstated and Steve's vocal delivery has never been better  - an excellent start! 

Circus Of Becoming opens with a dramatic organ intro before we are off into more of Steve's anarchic left of centre musical pranks.  Very much the musical descendant of The Ballad Of The Decomposing Man but once again, Steve's vocals are much more refined and when he lets rip with a short guitar blast you don‚t know what to expect next - "set fire to the stars" indeed! 

The Devil Is An Englishman, a Hackett cover of the Thomas Dolby tune originally penned for Ken Russell's film 'Gothic', is another pure delight with Steve's vocal in demonic form  and wonderfully overstated; a cod psycho Lawrence Olivier vocal delivery sets the tone for this anarchic romp including some excellent harmonica blowing reminding us of Steve's Blues roots combining with rock and Jazz to make almost a mini statement of Steve's influences in one track - phew! 

Frozen Statues opens in typically frosty style with an echoey piano and accompanying voices, and Steve's vocal accompanied by this and Rob Townsend's night club Jazz brass section is almost a throwback to Guitar Noir but once again; Steve's vocal performance is vastly improved, a stark track which leads into the more familiar industrial grind of Mechanical Bride - a dramatic observation of the darker side of life; the lyric

Fox hunt, bullfight animals' curse 

Born again with the roles reversed

is a wonderful image and accompanied by the discordant and anarchic music makes for a challenging track but as Steve says in the sleeve notes; not one to play to the children - yet and definitely one  which the band will enjoy "laddering their tights" to in live performance! 

Wind, Sand And Stars opens in suitably dramatic style and is the first track to feature Steve's acoustic guitar and a marvellously  evocative track worthy of the great tradition of acoustic magnificence we have come to expect from him - a wonderfully fluid composition building a complex picture which will be different to everyone who hears it - interpretation is half the fun! 

Brand New opens with further acoustic guitar, almost camp fire in style but augmented by Steve's smokey vocals before he rips the hair off your neck with a stomping rock refrain which reverts to the former and back again - a bit like a re-statement of Steve's career in miniature. 

This World is the true romantic heart of the album - a simply stunning love song which if there was any justice in the world would be a chart topper.  This was the first track that Steve played to me when I interviewed him last year and it stuck in my mind.  This is Hackett at his romantic best, vocally understated and musically refined to the point of almost unbearable purity - wonderful stuff! 

Rebecca shows Steve's literary leanings again with a respectful nod towards Daphne Du Maurier's classic character, opening sparsely with acoustic guitar and bass performing an intricate duet before Steve's vocals emerge to weave the story ably accompanied by a masterful accompaniment telling the haunting tale in a delightfully evocative and by turns dramatic manner. 

The Silk Road; Mr Hackett meets Mr Gabriel's "Passion" album.  A turbo charged romp along the ancient highway of its title evoking the mysticism and drama of the East in a wonderful pastiche of music and Steve's haunting vocal, another one which I am sure will give the band plenty of scope for musical adventure in the live set and Steve's all too brief rock guitar teases and taunts by turns. 

Come Away in the style of a Mazurka, an Eastern European dance rhythm popular at the turn of the last century and seldom heard in Western music. Lyrically to my mind this owes a lot again to The Virgin & The Gypsy but with an altogether more wistful and humorous twist, another track which will become a live favourite. 

The Moon Under Water is yet another wonderful example of Steve's acoustic playing.  Delightfully melodic and wonderfully evocative of its subject.  The music ripples and shimmers with a warmth that is totally and uniquely Steve - bravo, maestro! 

The album closes with another firm favourite from the current live set; Serpentine Song.  A wonderfully observed lyric accompanied by a delightfully warm musical accompaniment and in particular I love the final lyrics

Crystal fountains 

Peter Pan Stares 

Over the landscape 

Without motion 

On pencil grey days 

To a door marked Summer 

A suitably eloquent finale to another  album 
 

Over all, I have to say that this is one of Steve's most enjoyable outings in a while.  Lyrically he has developed a prodigious talent and at last he has found his vocal niche which is something which has not always sat comfortably within the bed of the music - no such problems here I assure you and this is an album that fans old and new will love and cherish for along time - well done, Steve!