Hi, everyone. Freshthony Scrubtano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for a review of this new Hayden Pedigo record, I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away.

Hayden Pedigo is a Texas native, a skilled guitarist, but most importantly, an eccentric public figure who is a bit of an enigma. He's been releasing music on the independent circuit for over a decade now, leaning into a lot of instrumental pieces with an American primitivist flair. If you listen to some of his early works, like Five Steps, for example, you'll hear a lot of clean, pristine, folksy guitar picking, moody cord progressions, wonderful strings, all coming together into an intensely beautiful and rustic sound, a sound that is sometimes a little dreamy, a little ambient, a little experimental.

These are characteristics he has held pretty close to, even as his sound has shifted a bit here and there, like on his Greetings from Amarillo album, which does feature quite a bit more electric guitar, as well as some immersive electronic passages, too. Still, the pieces on that album have an overall gentle and very reflective presentation.

But like I said, music is just a part of Hayden's overall story, because his upbringing in Amarillo is certainly a massive piece of the puzzle as well. Because not only does Hayden's work seemingly draw a lot of inspiration from the area, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention his storied 2018 city council run, which, while not successful, did turn him into a national figure. You could also say that this was all in part a bit of a performance art piece in a way, that was certainly a reflection of the absurd place our politics were heading in at the time.

He was also able to swing this growing attention into more acclaim for his musical output and eventually a three-album deal with the label Mexican Summer, which has resulted in a trilogy of projects that Hayden is finishing up with this one right here. Three albums, seven tracks each, all of them about 30 minutes in length. Cover art from Jonathan Phillips on each of them, too, all of which feature Hayden and a vehicle in some form or fashion, which is why this is being called a "motor trilogy."

Now, this is a lot of context and a lot of backstory for a series of pieces that honestly don't really demand that much from the listener. That's not to say that Hayden's playing isn't impressive. It undeniably is. I mean, listen to any single one of these tracks, and you will pick up instantly on the fact that Hayden is a very skilled guitarist, but he doesn't present his virtuosity in a way that forces the listener to really dissect it. It's employed more to create a series of contemplative mood pieces that I think, over time, Hayden has only gotten better at making sound evocative and cinematic across the length of this trilogy.

Now, as pretty as the bulk of the material from this trilogy is, up until this point, I've been very neutral on much of it. However, I did find this latest batch of tracks here to be somewhat more dynamic as well as engaging and detailed.

The whole project kicks off with the track "Long Pond Lily", which I love the recording of. It sounds like you're in the damn guitar. Hayden's picking off the bat is very precise, is very tight, and I love all of the accompanying psychedelic touches of electric guitar throughout the track, too. On top of this, you have all of these swirling arpeggios, nice little touches of harmonics, just all mixing together into this hazy, watercolor wall of sound.

The following track "All the Way Across", in a word, is quaint, especially with this gentle bit of piano accompaniment. This is one of many moments on the album where I do wish the extra layers of instrumentation brought more than maybe just a bit of an airy extra layer in the background. Maybe more interplay in a way would have been preferable. Still, I do love how immersive a track like this feels in comparison with many a track previously in the Motor Trilogy. It's a sensation. It's a vibe that is dreamy enough to take you away on a cloud, but simultaneously interesting enough to be appreciated intently, too.

The third track on the album, "Smoked", features the saddest set of chords on the project so far. There's a larger embrace of effects on this cut as well with a lot of echoes in the mix. As the song progresses along, you have this heavy rush of bass and strings that create a thunderous sound for the album. The track does get quite stormy, but eventually the clouds part, and it makes way for this very dark and somewhat ominous ending.

"Houndstooth", in the middle of the record, is a personal favorite of mine. This track is earnest and lovely in every way. Hayden's finger-picking patterns on this one hit a sweet little groove that I love. Meanwhile, the accompanying strings switch back and forth between passages that are sometimes very weepy and nostalgic, and also sometimes jaunty and punchy. I really do enjoy that contrast across the piece.

I think "Hermes" is the most mystical sounding song on the entire project, not only due to its eerie key melodies that tie in with the guitar very nicely, but you have an even larger embrace of dreamy effects in the mix on this one, too. As the piece progresses, it just gets slower and more dramatic until it reaches an ending where it just really grinds to a halt, which is a finish I think Hayden certainly could have done more with.

The second to last track on the LP, "Small Torch", is maybe a bit too washed out instrumentally. I think the otherworldly woodwind layers on the track are a nice touch. But again, like with a lot of the accompaniment that does layer over and under Hayden's guitar on this record, it just comes across maybe just a bit too ghostly and distant, just too far off to really make that much of an impact outside of just being mere window dressing to some of these pieces.

But the closing title track of the album, in my opinion, is absolutely excellent, and I think my favorite track here, because not only is Hayden's playing and phrasing so expressive on this track, I love how confidently and fluidly he moves through these guitar sections, not holding entirely to the tempo of the piece much of the time. Meanwhile, the string bits that pop up here and there throughout the song are quite sassy and have a a tang to them. The pedal steel, while gentle, is also a pretty nice touch on the track, too.

But yeah, I mean, pretty decent, very enjoyable album from Hayden for sure. While this ambient New Age spin on this folksy, instrumental, Americana blend of sounds and ideas that Hayden has drummed up and has really made his trademark over the past 10 plus years – it's not necessarily my personal cup of tea. It's still a beautiful album with quality production that seemingly a lot of heart went into and actually showcases a lot of talent and moving moments, too, even if I do find many of them to be maybe a little fleeting, which is why I'm feeling a decent to strong 7 on this LP.

Anthony Fantano, Hayden Pedigo, Forever.