As an early member of Genesis, guitarist Steve Hackett was instrumental in crafting many of the band’s best albums—Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound among them—long before Phil Collins’ promotion to frontman eradicated their progressive posture and made them more like pop wannabes. It’s little wonder then that Hackett has spent the latter part of his career retracing Genesis’ signature songs live and on record, recreating former glories for the adoring masses. Notably then, The Night Siren finds him moving forward under his own aegis. There’s all the sweep, drama and grandeur that one might expect from an artist of his ilk—as evidenced on songs such as “Behind the Smoke,” “In the Skeleton Gallery,” “Fifty Miles From the North Pole” and “El Niño”—but, to his credit, Hackett integrates other intriguing additives as well. Oversized arrangements, raging percussion, uilleann pipes, and all manner of South American and Middle Eastern instrumentation provide the exotic elements that enhance the album’s cinematic sound. Those international additives impart a message about global unity and understanding— an intent that’s especially obvious on “West to East” and “Anything but Love”—but, for the most part, the music sacrifices intimacy for intensity. Hackett’s soaring fretwork takes center stage, with occasional harmonies, folk-like flourishes and a sound that recalls Mike Oldfield’s symphonic stance enhancing the sense of spectacle. The Night Siren finds Hackett back making music through his own dynamic designs.