Album of the Month - September 2026
There was really no competition this month. My Best Acoustic Album of September 2026 could only be Angel by Lizzy McAlpine, an artist whose music I have completely fallen in love with over the past few months.
Released on September 18 through Indigo Blue and RCA Records, Angel is McAlpine's fourth studio album, featuring 14 tracks and running for approximately one hour. Recorded over nearly two years in and around Los Angeles, it was produced alongside her longtime collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall.
Interestingly, the album was originally conceived as a double record, with songs divided between lighter and darker themes. However, the recording process was interrupted by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in early 2025, followed by McAlpine's Broadway debut in Floyd Collins. These experiences eventually helped reshape the project into the album we know today.
Lizzy herself has described Angel as something of a personal diary covering the years between 2024 and 2026. Love, heartbreak, friendship, grief and personal growth are all part of it, but compared with her previous work, there seems to be a greater sense of hope and acceptance.
Musically, Angel also marks a fascinating evolution. McAlpine has openly discussed her admiration for artists such as Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake, and that influence is particularly evident in the album's folk-inspired arrangements.
But rather than focusing on the lyrics as I usually do in these reviews, this time I want to approach the album from a different perspective: the acoustic guitar.
Because if there is one thing that makes Angel special to me, it is the incredible amount of guitar work throughout the record. Of the 14 tracks, 11 feature the acoustic guitar prominently, and I would classify eight of those arrangements as fingerstyle-driven.
And we're not talking about ordinary fingerpicking either. Open tunings, unusual voicings, double and triple stops, intricate arpeggios and constantly changing guitar textures make this album a little paradise for acoustic guitar enthusiasts.
Let's go through them.
The Light in the Painting
The album opens with The Light in the Painting, immediately introducing us to Lizzy's fascinating approach to acoustic guitar.
The song features a delicate arpeggio in D G C F A D tuning. Combined with the piano, the arrangement gradually builds into something much bigger, beautifully reflecting the excitement and vulnerability of a new romantic connection.
It's a wonderful introduction to the album, both emotionally and instrumentally, and an early indication that conventional guitar tunings are not going to play a particularly important role here!
A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants
If there was any doubt about Joni Mitchell's influence on this record, A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants should settle it.
I watched a video of Lizzy performing this song at the Newport Folk Festival, which, by the way, is a festival I dream of attending one day, and noticed that she was using yet another unusual tuning: C♯ G♯ C♯ F G♯ C♯, with a capo on the third fret.
This is essentially Open C♯ major, transposed to E major by the capo.
The result is a guitar arrangement full of unusual voicings and resonating open strings, exactly the kind of playing that made Joni Mitchell's guitar work so distinctive.
And the comparison is not just mine. Lizzy has spoken about Mitchell's Blue and Hejira as important influences on this album, alongside the work of Nick Drake.
Lyrically, the song explores the realization that a former partner may have been more interested in the attention surrounding Lizzy's career than in the person behind it. There is disappointment, but also a certain liberation in finally recognizing the relationship for what it was.
I find it fascinating that such a complicated emotional realization is accompanied by an equally unconventional guitar arrangement.
I Have a Friend
There's always that one Lizzy McAlpine song that makes me question everything I thought I knew about guitar tunings.
This time, it's I Have a Friend.
Much like some of her previous compositions, the song revolves around repeated groups of notes played simultaneously rather than a conventional arpeggio. We could call them double stops, although in this case triple stops would probably be more accurate.
The arrangement is beautifully minimal, with nothing but Lizzy's voice and acoustic guitar carrying the song.
And then there's the tuning.
It took me quite a while to figure this one out, but the four lower strings are tuned to C, G, D and F, while the first two strings are never played.
This creates a particularly interesting harmonic environment, allowing Lizzy to move between unusual voicings without relying on traditional chord shapes.
The lyrics, meanwhile, are a beautiful celebration of love through the smallest everyday details. One particularly fitting image involves watching someone tune a guitar and realizing that the instrument's music would mean very little without the person playing it.
As someone who spends a considerable amount of time tuning guitars, I certainly appreciate that one!
The Moon
After all these unusual tunings, The Moon brings us back to something more familiar.
Here, Lizzy uses standard tuning lowered by a semitone, with strumming replacing the more intricate fingerstyle arrangements of the previous songs.
The simplicity works beautifully. The song celebrates the kind of love that makes ordinary moments feel extraordinary, and the straightforward guitar accompaniment allows her vocals and lyrics to take centre stage.
It's also a nice reminder that you don't always need complicated tunings or fingerpicking patterns to create a memorable acoustic arrangement.
Sometimes a few well-chosen chords are more than enough.
Ugly Things
This is probably the song I know best from the album, considering that I have already published a complete guitar tutorial for it, including a spoken explanation of the arrangement.
For Ugly Things, we return to Open D tuning, one of Lizzy's favourite tools on this record.
The song is built around a repeating guitar pattern with some particularly interesting voicings, including stretches that can be quite challenging for the left hand.
What I love about this arrangement is how much Lizzy manages to achieve with relatively few harmonic changes. The pattern remains recognizable throughout the song, but the different bass notes and voicings give each section its own character.
Lyrically, Ugly Things looks at the ordinary objects and memories left behind by a relationship. Things that once seemed insignificant suddenly become painful reminders of someone who is no longer there.
The arrangement gradually grows beyond its intimate beginning, making the emotional impact even stronger.
Soldier of the Road (feat. Fleet Foxes)
Here we go. In my opinion, the most interesting guitar arrangement on the entire album.
Soldier of the Road, featuring Fleet Foxes, is played in Open Dsus4 tuning, which is essentially Open D with the third string tuned to G instead of F♯. Lizzy also uses a capo on the first fret.
The result is absolutely mesmerizing.
By removing the major third from the open tuning, the guitar acquires a more suspended, ambiguous character. The repeating arpeggio creates a hypnotic atmosphere that perfectly complements the layered vocals.
And who better to collaborate with on a song like this than Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes?
Interestingly, Lizzy wrote the song while performing on Broadway, reportedly working on it in her dressing room between rehearsals.
Its lyrics explore the complicated relationship between an artist and the music industry, particularly the pressure to keep travelling, performing and producing results while trying not to lose sight of why one started making music in the first place.
Considering how demanding Lizzy's relationship with touring has been, the subject feels especially personal.
The guitar arrangement is so beautiful that I could honestly listen to it without the vocals and still be completely satisfied.
Over Country
Now, while Soldier of the Road might win the prize for the most interesting guitar arrangement, Over Country is, without a doubt, my favourite song on the album.
And once again, Lizzy surprises us with a different tuning.
This time, she moves to Open G, introducing another beautiful fingerstyle pattern into an album that already contains more than enough of them.
The song revolves around distance and the emotional difficulty of being away from the people who matter most. Rather than focusing exclusively on romantic relationships, Lizzy reflects on friendship, family and the connections that remain important even when life takes us somewhere else.
There is something particularly moving about this subject when you consider the amount of travelling musicians have to do.
The guitar arrangement gives the song a wonderful sense of movement, while its extended duration allows the melody and emotions to develop naturally.
At more than five minutes, it is one of the album's longest tracks, but I wouldn't remove a single second.
Two Elevens
I have to admit that this song initially gave me quite a headache.
After spending some time experimenting with different tunings, I finally managed to identify it: B F♯ B E♭ A♭ D♭.
Once again, Lizzy moves away from standard tuning to create an arrangement full of unusual resonances. The fingerstyle pattern has a similarly hypnotic quality to Soldier of the Road, although the two songs use different tunings.
It's precisely these kinds of arrangements that make Angel such a fascinating album for guitarists. Even after years of playing and transcribing acoustic guitar music, Lizzy still manages to surprise me.
Our Strange Ways
Another song that has kept me busy with my guitar, but this time I think I've finally cracked the code!
The tuning is C♯ G♯ D♯ F♯ B D♯, another wonderfully unconventional configuration that opens up a completely different set of chord voicings and possibilities.
At over seven minutes, Our Strange Ways is the album's longest track, and its intricate guitar arrangement makes it one of the most interesting compositions to study.
In fact, I've become so fascinated by this particular arrangement that it might actually be the next song I turn into a full guitar tutorial for my All of Acoustic YouTube channel.
And considering how much time I've already spent figuring it out, I might as well share the results!
Mason's Song
With Mason's Song, we return to familiar territory: Open D tuning and strumming.
But there's a particularly touching story behind this one.
The song is dedicated to Mason Stoops, Lizzy's longtime guitarist, producer and close friend. During the making of the album, the two experienced some difficult moments, particularly around the early recording sessions that were interrupted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
Lizzy later wrote this song as a way of expressing her appreciation for their friendship and acknowledging that personal growth often requires the support of other people.
According to an interview, the two were moved to tears when she played it for him.
Instrumentally, the relatively simple strummed arrangement is exactly what the song needs. There is no complicated fingerstyle pattern competing for attention, just an acoustic guitar supporting an extremely personal message.
Angel
And finally, the title track.
Just like Mason's Song, Angel returns to Open D tuning and strumming, bringing the guitar journey almost full circle.
After an album filled with unconventional tunings, intricate fingerstyle patterns and unusual chord voicings, there is something satisfying about ending with a comparatively straightforward acoustic arrangement.
The title track returns to the album's central idea of love as something capable of changing the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
It also provides a fitting contrast with the uncertainty and heartbreak explored elsewhere on the record.
Rather than ending with all the answers, Lizzy leaves us with something perhaps more valuable: the possibility of feeling hopeful again.
Conclusion
I've reviewed quite a few acoustic albums since starting All of Acoustic, but I don't think I've ever dedicated so much attention to the guitar arrangements themselves.
And I can't think of a better album for it.
With Angel, Lizzy McAlpine has given us 11 wonderful acoustic guitar songs, eight of which I would describe as fingerstyle-driven, featuring an extraordinary variety of tunings and techniques.
From the resonating open strings of A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants to the unusual triple stops of I Have a Friend, the mesmerizing arpeggio of Soldier of the Road and the beautiful Open G arrangement of Over Country, there is so much here for guitar enthusiasts to explore.
What impresses me most, however, is that none of these technical choices feels like an exercise in showing off. Lizzy never seems interested in demonstrating how complicated a guitar arrangement can be. She simply uses whatever tuning, pattern or voicing best serves the song.
And that, to me, is what makes a truly great acoustic guitarist.
The influence of Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake is evident, but Lizzy has developed a musical identity that feels entirely her own. Her guitar arrangements are becoming just as recognizable as her voice and songwriting.
As someone who spends countless hours learning, transcribing and teaching acoustic guitar songs, I can only be grateful for an album like this.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have a couple of tunings to figure out!
P.S. Are you a guitarist? If you enjoyed this review and would like to support the All of Acoustic project, you can grab the guitar tabs for your favorite songs from Angel on my Patreon!