Mike Savino records and tours under the moniker Tall Tall Trees. The banjo-wielding bard has reshaped the landscape of what is possible with the instrument. On stage and in studio, Savino breaks down the banjo into its most basic iteration, reminding audiences that the banjo is, at root, a drum. Coupled with his mastery of electronic effects, loops, toy ray guns, and heaps of spontaneous creativity, Tall Tall Trees has been encapsulating audience members worldwide with his mystifying solo shows, as well as playing alongside fellow innovator Kishi Bashi. Freedays his his new album...

Composed and recorded over a period of eight months, Freedays tells the story of a man in transition and documents an artist alone at the crossroads of the life he has and the one he wants. The album opens with 'Backroads', which drops the listener into a darkened forest amidst a chorus of wailing coyotes and quickly takes off on a midnight drive. Tracks like 'Being There', 'A Place to Call Your Own', and 'CLC' provide a look into the author’s thought process and decision making. Although it’s often hard to imagine, most of the sounds on the album are experiments with the banjo.

The album contains 9 songs (35 min, 48 sec). Highlights include 'Backroads'; 'Lost in Time' and 'So Predictable'.

It's quirky, it's fun... and it's certainly not boring...

8

Nick Smithson