Steven R. Smith is a wildly consistent and self-sufficient auteur making epic music far beyond his monk-like solo recording practices. On Olive, one gets more of Steven R. Smith's singular vision and musicianship, this time filtered through ensemble arrangement largely performed by others-an approach he's explored in recent years. A micro-orchestra of horn and woodwind players was enlisted, as well as other collaborators including Kate Wright (Movietone, 1000 Dawns) and Yvonne Sone. The stunning results call to mind Mark Hollis' eponymous solo LP and Gerald Busby's masterful 3 Women score, not only in terms of sonics or tone, but also in the use of space.
