Lelio Padovani – Waves (2017)

Hailing from Italy, today we have axe man Lelio Padovani and his hyper mellow Jazzy/Rock instrumental release “Waves”. Very aptly titled, this release will soothe your mornings or evenings with four tracks that are quite cinematic and engaging in nature. We are huge fans of guitarists solo releases and while many of the focus on speed and acrobatics, this one focuses on creating enjoyable and highly melancholic songs.

Opening with the lush “Time Traveler”, we get this cinematic/video-game-ish vibe from the tempo changes in the song. The keyboards nicely provide a good atmospheric backdrop for the playful interchange between the bass and the lead guitar. Continuing with the upbeat mood, “Siren Song” delivers great guitar leads under a very hypnotic bass line. This track is one of your typical songs were the guitars shine, but they never fully overpower the atmosphere created by Lelio.

Continuing with “Sunday”, we have our personal favorite track in this release as it is a brilliant, hope-inducing piece that really sets the mood for a chill summer day. We truly enjoy this song’s melodic contribution and the dramatic keyboards that accentuate the guitar work. Rounding things up, we have the intense “Waves”. With this track, Lelio saved the best for last as this is the heaviest piece of the release with soaring bass/lead guitar passages and more upbeat percussions.

Overal, “Waves” is a pretty solid release that delivers four very cinematic and enjoyable tracks. You won’t find ridiculous amounts of shredding in this release, but you will find lively and engaging tracks that showcase the musical skills and qualities of Lelio Padovani. If you like solo guitarist releases or instrumental music in general, this is definitely a release worth adding to your collection.

Label: Self-Released

Release: 2016

Genre: Instrumental Rock/Jazz

Country: Italy