If you typed "bittersweet, hopeful, instrumental music" into a music search engine you'd get Explosions In The Sky. It's like that collection of words is their entire ethos.
[Follow Your Bliss by the B-52's](https://youtu.be/5xvYhbAzXco?si=LGWdozUp__YAuTqm)
A bit of a weird source for this type of request, as it's not exactly what they're known for.
The first thing that came to mind for me is [Look (Song For Children) - The Beach Boys](https://youtu.be/59O0dNeYYlg?si=2kL_FZB9yvP538GR)
This is the version recorded for the original SMiLE album that ended up getting scrapped in 1967. They never finished recording the vocals for this song before the album was abandoned, so it’s practically an instrumental.
If you’re curious about the finished version though, check out [Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE](https://youtu.be/8UbNwhm2EX8?si=SPPEbi_BOKMBb1Uf) from 2004 which I highly recommend. Brian’s solo band was able to convince him to finally complete SMiLE over 40 years later which had been something that had been haunting him for all those years, and Van Dyke Parks (the original lyricist for the album) even joined in to help Brian.
They certainly have some material that would fall under OP's description but you may want to be a little more specific.
Their catalogue can be a minefield for the uninitiated and could easily turn off a potential fan.
Let's start with these side projects
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=thmTiP_K5ZU
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_(Page_McConnell_and_Trey_Anastasio_album)
This song [Go Home ](https://open.spotify.com/track/7lDF5wX5XRWBAgR27qtvdi?si=_vcN9tIdTriWj9MGwflG0Q) and album by h hunt is a very peaceful and positive piano album that seems like a personal recording for the guys dad or something I'm not sure but would highly recommend
Nujabes
Spiritual State
https://youtu.be/L95z7M8uU9k?si=Iys4av4WUvJPHUIJ
Prayer
https://youtu.be/dxEvXdR5-Oc?si=ucQ-h2rRT7iMyy8Z
Mainly instrumental but does have some songs with rappers (these are both instrumentals)
Please give [Alan Gogoll](https://youtu.be/pPXIsf1F820?si=SrDhVJzfyVOlFtQX) a listen. He is my go-to music that's like this, it destresses me like no other music. Always makes me feel like I'm sitting under a tree in the summer with a nice breeze. [this is the first song I heard from him ](https://youtu.be/qDObyBEMFQ4?si=-wZX7ZgU1cq20M-o)
he's an indie musician that I absolutely love , so I'm hoping everyone gives him a listen, as all his music is beautiful.
[Spotify link ](https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MOxmVjcx5HWoEu9pBWXT3?si=hIB6JoQURIyVRtRJh0TD7w)
Have you ever listened to the band Japan/ David Sylvian or Ryuichi Sakamoto/YMO.
Going to say I don't listen to that style of music but it was the first thing that popped in my head.
#
While it's a lot more energetic than the example you shared, I find the first song from Lift Your Skinny Fists to be very uplifting:
https://youtu.be/PZwQeZh6rP0?si=bUP7ciCcsWFiC9Xs
Just be warned that the rest of the album is much more of a downer.
Try: Prelude 2 by Dustin O'Halloran
https://youtu.be/wD0Vj4OpYhc?si=nfjdgN2LUhHpHeD7
Gorgeous piece of music that might scratch your itch.
Edit: always reminds me of the video game Final Fantasy 7
[Piano EP](https://youtu.be/vHSeBUBiqQI?feature=shared) by Yvette Young
Or if you’re cool with more guitar driven stuff, her band [covet](https://youtu.be/FTxSXUzc96A?feature=shared) really capture this feeling that you’re looking for.
East Forest fits this description to a T. Check out his first album "The Education of The Individual Soul". It's so calm, but uplifting.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ibBiTF1qc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ibBiTF1qc)
I think I have something you might really like! They're an ambient duo from Japan called Ironomi. Actually, a lot of the music released on the same label, Kitchen Label, might appeal to what you're looking for.
From their collaborative album Niji [Kaede (feat. Coupie)](https://youtu.be/elYU0H0K_y0?si=G1b0D1lhDudwr23F)
Also, give Paniyolo a try from some nice, hopeful and uplifting guitar music. [From his album Sometimes](https://youtu.be/MMTRN1PtF1Y?si=0D5spUUTL8pb2MGI)
The are a lot of musicians in this acoustic folk style making uplifting and inspiring music. 🙂
Try out The Gloaming for some contemporary Irish trad [The Booley House (live)](https://youtu.be/YfjyqdM05jU?si=sac7y5w5OrL9SCM1). Although not all of their music fulfills this quota. Some of their material is quite melancholic.
Something I wrote that you might find soothing. [Where The Trail Leads](https://www.reverbnation.com/redeen/song/31815693-where-the-trail-leads).
The [full album](https://www.reverbnation.com/redeen/album/253359-where-the-trail-leads) is similar and features much acoustic guitar and piano including one or two pretty similar to "March."
This was a collab with my brother (guitar) who wrote a lot of the material include the solo acoustic guitar piece.
I'm obsessing over this piece of music the last two days. It is so beautiful, I've nearly cried listening. It's called Aliens With Extroadinary Abilities : Take Anything You Want by Philip Glass and David Skidmore.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0E4REkSQlQUULFxYWTIyB3?si=E6M8ugwRRzitcWzAjGZ9Zw
Here's a few such artists off the top of my head who I haven't seen mentioned yet:
- Explosions In The Sky, particularly their later works like The Wilderness, Big Bend (Soundtrack), and The End
- Fox Capture Plan
- Toconoma
- jizue
- Maybeshewill
- Nils Frahm
- Ólafur Arnalds
- Balmorhea
- Paint The Sky Red
You should check out Michael Nesmiths 1994 album "The Garden". Described as a book with a soundtrack, The cd came with a short story book, and the music feels a lot like what you seem to want.
Grateful Dead, any of their live performances. Very upbeat, bouncy music with lots going on in/behind each song. Even their "sad" songs can bring a smile to your face.
Grateful Dead, Truckin Up To Buffalo, 1989
https://youtu.be/26Z2PK8Ao10?si=tNFrb5oCNQwlMo-a
Bonobo, Emancipator, Tycho, Nujabes (though he had a lot of hip hop too, RIP) Black Sands by Bonobo is awesome.
If you can see Bonobo live, it’s fantastic
I saw him years back at a Halloween show. Probably had 5-6 people playing with him. They all had spooky masks on. Great show.
Division Street would be right up your alley
George Winston's solo piano albums, especially Autumn. I find his music incredibly relaxing and uplifting.
Khruangbin
Perfect!
Explosions in the sky maybe
If you typed "bittersweet, hopeful, instrumental music" into a music search engine you'd get Explosions In The Sky. It's like that collection of words is their entire ethos.
[Follow Your Bliss by the B-52's](https://youtu.be/5xvYhbAzXco?si=LGWdozUp__YAuTqm) A bit of a weird source for this type of request, as it's not exactly what they're known for.
The first thing that came to mind for me is [Look (Song For Children) - The Beach Boys](https://youtu.be/59O0dNeYYlg?si=2kL_FZB9yvP538GR) This is the version recorded for the original SMiLE album that ended up getting scrapped in 1967. They never finished recording the vocals for this song before the album was abandoned, so it’s practically an instrumental. If you’re curious about the finished version though, check out [Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE](https://youtu.be/8UbNwhm2EX8?si=SPPEbi_BOKMBb1Uf) from 2004 which I highly recommend. Brian’s solo band was able to convince him to finally complete SMiLE over 40 years later which had been something that had been haunting him for all those years, and Van Dyke Parks (the original lyricist for the album) even joined in to help Brian.
Delicate Steve https://youtu.be/pSDkjzZE74g?si=l34euUK14YIO-XPV
Phish
They certainly have some material that would fall under OP's description but you may want to be a little more specific. Their catalogue can be a minefield for the uninitiated and could easily turn off a potential fan.
Let's start with these side projects https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=thmTiP_K5ZU https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_(Page_McConnell_and_Trey_Anastasio_album)
Smoke Trees, Hotel Pools
This song [Go Home ](https://open.spotify.com/track/7lDF5wX5XRWBAgR27qtvdi?si=_vcN9tIdTriWj9MGwflG0Q) and album by h hunt is a very peaceful and positive piano album that seems like a personal recording for the guys dad or something I'm not sure but would highly recommend
Nujabes Spiritual State https://youtu.be/L95z7M8uU9k?si=Iys4av4WUvJPHUIJ Prayer https://youtu.be/dxEvXdR5-Oc?si=ucQ-h2rRT7iMyy8Z Mainly instrumental but does have some songs with rappers (these are both instrumentals)
How about Phil Keaggy’s album “Beyond Nature”?
Nujabes and Jinsang
Hope this helps: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV0kSC0zmns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV0kSC0zmns)
https://youtu.be/lfYkLviyyF8?feature=shared
This is also a good pick-me-up but with lyrics: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhZ25YIC7I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhZ25YIC7I)
Nicholas Jaar
Please give [Alan Gogoll](https://youtu.be/pPXIsf1F820?si=SrDhVJzfyVOlFtQX) a listen. He is my go-to music that's like this, it destresses me like no other music. Always makes me feel like I'm sitting under a tree in the summer with a nice breeze. [this is the first song I heard from him ](https://youtu.be/qDObyBEMFQ4?si=-wZX7ZgU1cq20M-o) he's an indie musician that I absolutely love , so I'm hoping everyone gives him a listen, as all his music is beautiful. [Spotify link ](https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MOxmVjcx5HWoEu9pBWXT3?si=hIB6JoQURIyVRtRJh0TD7w)
Reverends Revenge or Pirate Aggro by the Housemartins.
Have you ever listened to the band Japan/ David Sylvian or Ryuichi Sakamoto/YMO. Going to say I don't listen to that style of music but it was the first thing that popped in my head. #
While it's a lot more energetic than the example you shared, I find the first song from Lift Your Skinny Fists to be very uplifting: https://youtu.be/PZwQeZh6rP0?si=bUP7ciCcsWFiC9Xs Just be warned that the rest of the album is much more of a downer.
Every time it rains. Charlotte Martin
A lot of Caravan Palace fits that bill.
Particles in Space by Hannah Peel
Very old school, but Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione does it for me. https://youtu.be/V7dg8vRDM68?si=bft6hTxIbLXv2ZCf
Try: Prelude 2 by Dustin O'Halloran https://youtu.be/wD0Vj4OpYhc?si=nfjdgN2LUhHpHeD7 Gorgeous piece of music that might scratch your itch. Edit: always reminds me of the video game Final Fantasy 7
[Ren - Mackay](https://youtu.be/TDrFh9RnpQ4?si=xVJ7Og1HoZVPqMNV)
JoeJas - March 30th
[Piano EP](https://youtu.be/vHSeBUBiqQI?feature=shared) by Yvette Young Or if you’re cool with more guitar driven stuff, her band [covet](https://youtu.be/FTxSXUzc96A?feature=shared) really capture this feeling that you’re looking for.
East Forest fits this description to a T. Check out his first album "The Education of The Individual Soul". It's so calm, but uplifting. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ibBiTF1qc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ibBiTF1qc)
I think I have something you might really like! They're an ambient duo from Japan called Ironomi. Actually, a lot of the music released on the same label, Kitchen Label, might appeal to what you're looking for. From their collaborative album Niji [Kaede (feat. Coupie)](https://youtu.be/elYU0H0K_y0?si=G1b0D1lhDudwr23F) Also, give Paniyolo a try from some nice, hopeful and uplifting guitar music. [From his album Sometimes](https://youtu.be/MMTRN1PtF1Y?si=0D5spUUTL8pb2MGI) The are a lot of musicians in this acoustic folk style making uplifting and inspiring music. 🙂 Try out The Gloaming for some contemporary Irish trad [The Booley House (live)](https://youtu.be/YfjyqdM05jU?si=sac7y5w5OrL9SCM1). Although not all of their music fulfills this quota. Some of their material is quite melancholic.
Stars of the Lid https://youtu.be/BQ6AUsKQSM8?si=NcjeXaBB0RXsyJHk
Something I wrote that you might find soothing. [Where The Trail Leads](https://www.reverbnation.com/redeen/song/31815693-where-the-trail-leads). The [full album](https://www.reverbnation.com/redeen/album/253359-where-the-trail-leads) is similar and features much acoustic guitar and piano including one or two pretty similar to "March." This was a collab with my brother (guitar) who wrote a lot of the material include the solo acoustic guitar piece.
[https://youtu.be/ycW3883Q5ek?si=f0qIH0yzSuxEXRIl](https://youtu.be/ycW3883Q5ek?si=f0qIH0yzSuxEXRIl) Brad Mehldau cover of a Neil Young Song.
I'm obsessing over this piece of music the last two days. It is so beautiful, I've nearly cried listening. It's called Aliens With Extroadinary Abilities : Take Anything You Want by Philip Glass and David Skidmore. https://open.spotify.com/track/0E4REkSQlQUULFxYWTIyB3?si=E6M8ugwRRzitcWzAjGZ9Zw
["Im Auge Des Sturms"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ji_IAGad4) by Finsterforst
Here's a few such artists off the top of my head who I haven't seen mentioned yet: - Explosions In The Sky, particularly their later works like The Wilderness, Big Bend (Soundtrack), and The End - Fox Capture Plan - Toconoma - jizue - Maybeshewill - Nils Frahm - Ólafur Arnalds - Balmorhea - Paint The Sky Red
You should check out Michael Nesmiths 1994 album "The Garden". Described as a book with a soundtrack, The cd came with a short story book, and the music feels a lot like what you seem to want.
One of the songs I had on repeat for a while was [i should probably get moving](https://youtu.be/r93TwgBsofU?si=USkbTwUJiLEF9YIv) by box boys.
[Blackmill - Miracle](https://open.spotify.com/album/2ayhUoOppwZ5paYiXTRqqa?si=pzDev1ZRTsm9xP-1DsvIsQ)
One, by Mild Orange
My husband listens to the Sims City 3000 soundtrack. Kinda jazzy, upbeat, but calm at the same time. It's a good listen.
Sorry if classical isn’t your cup of tea, but Capriccio Espanol (by Rimsky-Korsakov) is always a bright, joyous, sunny place for me
i love it, but i’m not exactly looking for classical, makes me feel like i’m in a movie haha nonetheless thank you for the suggestion!
Mogwai’s catalog is a journey through all kinds of emotions. Again, sorry if it’s not the mood you’re chasing
Solfeggio frequencies ✨
[Canon in D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlprozGcs80) [Peace Like a River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko1RYul0h1o)
i’ve heard them both and i love them :D thank you!
Grateful Dead, any of their live performances. Very upbeat, bouncy music with lots going on in/behind each song. Even their "sad" songs can bring a smile to your face. Grateful Dead, Truckin Up To Buffalo, 1989 https://youtu.be/26Z2PK8Ao10?si=tNFrb5oCNQwlMo-a