A Wave of Golden Things (VIP) [Private Stash]

Tall Tall Trees is songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Savino. A Wave of Golden Things, his fourth studio album, opens with the distant crow of a rooster and takes off in a dust cloud of swirling banjo, drums, and bass, melding the influences of Pink Floyd and Cat Stevens with inspiration from banjo pioneers Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck. Savino, who self-records and produces his music, abandoned the heavily-layered textures of 2017’s Freedays for a more organic, stripped-down approach on A Wave of Golden Things, leaving his distinct voice as the centerpiece and opting for an immersive experience—setting up residence and a mobile recording rig on a hemp farm in the Appalachian mountains. Despite the sparse arrangements, Savino still manages to evoke the sonic imagery and pastoral landscapes that have often been hallmarks of Tall Tall Trees albums. Each of the eight songs that make up A Wave of Golden Things suggest a world unto itself. The lead off track, “The Wind, She Whispers,”