Saintseneca – Last

If ever there was a band custom-fitted to my tastes, it would be Saintseneca. The band hails from my home state of Ohio, employs precisely the sort of understated, folk-minded musicality that I so love, and doesn’t shy away from multi-syllable words and difficult phrasing. They are a band born of the basement music culture alive and thriving in Columbus and they are, if their reputation is right, a joy to see live. I have been listening to Saintseneca and quietly awaiting a new record, biding my time until I could share what I knew was going to be a great album with you lovely folks.

Saintseneca – Beasts

I was, as usual, right. This record is phenomenal. The songs on Last are, to put it plainly, remarkable. Each layer on its own has the sort of endearing simplicity you can’t help but love: a bit of finger-plucked guitar here, unironic clapping there, stomping feet one of the only hints of percussion on any of the songs. The real brilliance is in the band’s ability to turn those layers into much more than the sum of their parts, just as likely to be dramatic, sweeping pieces as they are delicately acoustic folk numbers. Neither type comes more easily than the other to the band; both seem effortlessly balanced in terms of tones and layers of sounds.

While they craft a truly excellent folk sound on most of their songs, writing Saintseneca off as just another folk band would be a terrible mistake. Their music is more than “just folk” (although don’t get me wrong, I am a huge folk fan). The lyrics are well-written, beautiful in the same way a good poem is, cohesive stories in and of themselves, informed but not controlled by the landscape of barren Ohio winters. It is difficult to pick favorites, but I find myself drawn to “Beasts” and “On or No” over and over again.

Saintseneca – James

Last is the first release by the band with Mama Bird Recording Co. and is actually Mama Bird’s first release. In my humble opinion, the record is an astounding success for all of the involved parties and I truly look forward to more from both Saintseneca and Mama Bird Recording Co. You can stream the entire record at Mama Bird’s bandcamp and check out Saintseneca’s upcoming tour dates to see if you are one of the lucky people able to catch them out on the road in the coming months.