Considered an avant-garde artist, of sorts, his latest album, The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored, is his attempt at writing “the best instrumental acoustic guitar album of the past twenty years,” and it’s a beautiful, intricate, warm, and healing collection of songs. His fingers move adeptly over the acoustic guitar, evoking images of warm desert land or lush forests or cityscapes, depending what delights your imagination as you listen to the songs.

It’s an instrumental album, and provides a respite for the soul, apart from any divided politics or inflammatory news’ headlines or insistent stress from your day. Like the title of the album suggests, happiness is available to us on the regular, and he channels feelings of warmth, bliss, and beauty through his impressive guitar playing.

The songs are long enough in length to provide time to rest in his intricate arrangements, but never overstay their welcome. They are a cohesive collection of songs, without being too repetitive. It is a collection of songs to wow any guitarist and to occupy any music enthusiast for play after replay. It’s a good collection of song, different than I’m used to hearing, and buoyed my soul. It will probably buoy your soul too, if you just press play and stay for the duration.

Order The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored by Hayden Pedigo HERE