Saintseneca/Traveling/Dolfish

Saintseneca/Traveling/Dolfish: With a knack for harmony and the tightness of finger-pickin’ melody, Saintseneca brings a good deal of much-needed distinction to the folk/Americana scene. The band’s August 2011 album, still the hallmark of a tidily quaint catalog, is a powerful little thing. With aplomb, the musicians wind their way through a dynamic collection of tunes. The opening triumvirate, “Acid Rain,” “Blood Drawing” and “Beasts” presents a nice cross-section of everything good in indie folk music these days. “Beasts,” in particular, showcases how a songwriter can balance strength on the back of solitude and quiet. “Shipwrecked” achieves a similar end, leading the listener on a bit of a voyage first. The whole album is great, and Saintseneca surely promises to bring a great show to Cleveland tonight. (Sandy)