Wasted Years is a ten-song solo electric guitar album by Serbian composer/guitarist Igor Lisul. The music is something of a blend of ambient, new age, rock and pop styles, but all ten tracks are quiet, melodic and very relaxing without any trace of "heavy metal guitar" anywhere. A left-handed guitarist who plays with the string order reversed, Igor has been playing the guitar since he was ten. He is now regarded as one of the prominent guitarists in Serbia and is gaining an avid fan-base from around the world.

I find both the title of the album and the cover artwork intriguing. The cover shows two children holding hands while standing in the surf watching seabirds as a giant jelly-fish hovers above them. Fascinating!

The album begins with an original piece called "Somewhere In Time" (not a cover of the movie theme). Warm, dreamy and deeply reflective, the melody is simple and very expressive, inviting the listener to take a deep breath and enjoy. "Playground" has a strong enough melody to support lyrics, but none are needed and it's more fun to imagine what inspired the piece anyway! "Liberty" could be interpreted in a number of different ways, but to me the piece expresses both freedom and gratitude. "Dance of Dolls" is light and fanciful and would be a beautiful lullaby for "kids" of any age. "One Afternoon" feels warm and sunny, so the afternoon that inspired the music must have been very relaxed and might have included a cozy nap in the sun! "Near You" is a gentle but heartfelt love song that expresses tenderness in every note. Played mostly on the higher notes on the guitar, "Peace" is quiet and prayerful. "Building A Castle" could refer to the children on the beach in the cover artwork constructing a sand castle or it might be a fairy-tale reference or even a hope for the future, but the dreamy nature of the piece is beautiful and soothing. "The Shores of Life" feels very reflective and nostalgic to me, perhaps revisiting various events in life while daydreaming. The title track is the last one on the album and while it doesn't feel regretful to me, quiet emotions flow from every note and come from the heart.

Wasted Years can be streamed or downloaded from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes and is also available on various streaming platforms including Spotify, Bandcamp and Pandora. Check it out!