The latest album from guitarist Jim Kimo West, Na Lani O Maui-Maui Skies, is a love letter. However, West's pen is his guitar, and they speak a language that only the imagination is able to interpret. An immaculate collection of slack-key guitar instrumentals, Na Lani O Maui- Maui Skies works not only as a homage to its country of origin but as a breathtaking introduction to the genre. The fingerstyle technique of slack-key guitar has its roots in Hawaii, shortly after Mexican cowboys offered guitars to the natives and taught them how to the play the instrument. Once they departed, the Hawaiians began to fashion their own way with it. West captures both the history of the genre as well as his own mesmerizing take on it, effortlessly blending covers of timeless classics with his spellbindingly beautiful originals.

On the opening cut, "Two Paniolos," West weaves a web of crystalline prettiness; his sparkling, calming acoustic guitars create feelings of tranquility as well as transcendent bliss. West paints images of tropical paradise so vividly that one can almost feel the hot sand and the blistering kiss of the summer sun. "Holoholo Hana Bay" unveils layers of crisply played guitars; they build up into a sweltering jam. The dreamy atmospherics of "Hi'ilawe" is awash with intoxicating romanticism.

Best known for his work with "Weird Al" Yankovic, West is a highly impressive talent on his own. His mastery of slack-key guitar, as prominently displayed on this record, is not just fueled by technical precision but also depth of emotion. For example, "Maui Skies" is poetry set to music; it is bursting alive with the constant evolution and vibrant colors of nature, its soothing textures caressing the heart and lighting fire to the soul.

As the longtime guitarist for Grammy-winning satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jim Kimo West has heard a lifetime of good-natured laughter. However, West's own discography is light years apart from Yankovic's inventive and often hilarious pop-music parodies. In fact, West's latest solo record, Na Lani O Maui-Maui Skies, is even miles away from the mainland as he pays homage to the awe-inspiring beauty of Hawaii. But West's decision to beam the spotlight on Hawaii is not for superficial reasons; this isn't some tourist's postcard although his surface affection for the tropical utopia is clearly evident.

There is a deeper context here, one that is rooted in West's musical style of choice. West is a lifelong student of the finger-style technique of slack-key guitar, which actually originated in Hawaii. In the late 19th century, Mexican cowboys left guitars to Hawaiian natives along with some pieces of instruction; once they were gone, those rookie guitarists began experimenting with the instrument, creating a new genre of music in the process. West's knowledge of slack-key guitar is vividly expressed in both his keen performances of covers as well as his own dynamite songwriting. West's version of Sonny Cunha's Hula Blues" is what you'd expect a Hawaiian-themed track to sound like, brimming with a sunny, playful groove. Maui Skies," a West original, is as evocative as its title promises; the liquid flow of West's guitar achieves that perfect balance of caressing the ears while awakening the mind to pictures of blankets of clouds hovering over a bed of blue ocean. That West is able to produce music as sublime and picturesque as this while contributing to Yankovic's funny send-ups reveals a versatile and impeccable artist who awaits discovery.