Peter Haeder: Emerald/Singularity (Attar/Ode)

Guitarist Haeder -- who sometimes records as phaeder -- has certainly spread his talents widely: he's played avant-garde improvised music; made music for film and television; done an album of almost life-threateningly fast techno (Lotus Beat of 2003); and, as a longtime Buddhist, has recorded haunting deevotional chants.

On Emerald however he pulls up a rack of mostly acoustic guitars and sits down for some fire-side melodies which are as enchanting as they are interesting. From another room it might sound like a Guitars by Moonlight album, but closer listening reveals that Haeder's melodies are much more complex than that.

That said, he never abandons the listener to become indulgent, and keeps the focus on developing his gentle tunes and teasing out their harmonies. Think Julian Bream rather than massage music in other words -- although these tunes are certainly also restful.

This comes as a two-for-one-price package with the Haeder's Singularity, a companion album of Buddhist chants and prayers layered with synthesisers, guitars, samples -- which is admittedly an acquired taste, but considerably better than that sounds.

Two-for-one is always a good deal, and here over two albums Haeder offers a good deal of very good, and different, music indeed.