It's been a good long while since we've gotten an album from Saintseneca, the longstanding Columbus indie-folk band whose ever-evolving membership sometimes feels like a who's who of the city's underground talent. (At one point the band included both Maryn Jones of All Dogs/Yowler fame and Steve Ciolek of the Sidekicks/Superviolet fame.) Zac Little, the band's main driving force, has trickled out one-off singles in recent years, but the last full-length Saintseneca release was the stellar Pillar Of Na way back in 2018.
That's about to change in a big way. On Halloween, Saintseneca will return with an ambitious new release called Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs. The 21-song project encompasses one main 10-track album, Highwalllow, orbited by a pair of "moons," Viridian Moon (tracks 11-16) and Cinnamon Moon (tracks 17-21). "I wanted this album to reflect that—some songs were found on the landscape, others were found on two moons, orbiting that landscape like satellites, disparate pieces pulling on each other, creating a world of song," Little says. The moons are reportedly named for the colors Little experienced through synesthesia while writing. Cinnamon Moon (which includes the 2022 track "Wild Violent") will not be included in the streaming version of the album but will be part of the physical and digital purchase.
Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs came together after a protracted period of burnout and writer's block for Little. He found inspiration from painting during those years — the new album's cover art emerged from his brush — and eventually found his way back to music. He worked with longtime collaborator Glenn Davis of Way Yes before turning to Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis for the mix. The working genre name he came up with for the project is unamericana, a name that nods to the music's blend of rootsy, folksy textures and digital, sample-based sounds.
More from Little:
I found that I circled back to the country music that I grew up listening to and always wanted to run from, but then I just wanted to hear it. The voice of George Jones, raw and razor sharp with emotion, the alchemical perfection of Hank Williams’ songwriting, Dolly Parton’s crushing melodies. They seemed to effortlessly cut through the air, floating in the atmosphere like perfume even after the songs stopped.
That mix of country and electronic pop comes through on "Infinity Leaf Clover," the album's excellent seven-minute lead single. Check it out below.
TRACKLIST:
High Walllow
01 "High Walllow"
02 "You Have To Lose Your Hat Someday"
03 "Sweet Nothing"
04 "In A Way"
05 "Escape Artist"
06 "Non Prophet"
07 "Holy Hock"
08 "Hill Still Nameless"
09 "Infinity Leaf Clover"
10 "Hot Water Song"
Viridian Moon
11 "Burnt Hand Hymn"
12 "May Day"
13 "Battery Lifer"
14 "Green Ink Pen"
15 "Long Winter"
Cinnamon Moon
16 "Smoke Punching
17 "I Don't Know Why Double Birthday"
18 "Wild Violent"
19 "Mt S"
20 "Bitter Suite"
21 "Vanishing Point"
High Walllow & Supermoon Songs is out 10/31 on Lame-O. Pre-order it here.
