Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong (Music from Starview Valley) takes the music from the hit farm sim RPG created and composed by Eric Barone and gives it the full orchestral treatment, courtesy of VGM Classics and arranger Kentaro Sato. Building on the team's strong previous efforts for Suikoden II and Grandia, this arranged album for Stardew Valley is not just good but truly great - my favorite VGM release of 2020 and in the top tier of orchestral game music albums.

The word that comes to mind again and again when listening to Stardew Valley Symphonic Tale is simply "beautiful". It's a serene, naturalesque beauty perfectly suited to the game's theme, rendered primarily by tender woodwinds, piano and strings. The combination is most reminiscent of the fantastic Viva Pinata soundtrack album - even the track titles are similar in their references to nature and the seasons. (Ironically both also have decidedly unappealing cover art for albums with such lovely music.)

I really can't emphasize enough how beautiful the orchestral arrangements and performances are. Virtually every track serves as an example but in the more quiet and serene tracks like "Dance of the Moonlight Jellies" and "Starwatcher" it's especially noticeable. And at the album's pinnacle, "A Golden Star Is Born" is the closest a piece of music has come to making me shed a tear in a long time. I could continue to gush on about "Stardew Valley Overture" and more but the whole album deserves to be heard. Thankfully it's available on all the streaming platforms. Better yet buy it in lossless or on CD, and enjoy Stardew Valley Symphonic Tale in all its orchestral glory.