Ok I fell behind on the blog and Thursday should be the review day, so let's catch up with a release I could write in my head for the number of times I have listened to this six song gem. Siena reminded me this weekend I told her I found it in Bandcamp on one of my many searches of new folk music released. Quickly I fell in love with her clear enchanting voice, the delicate guitar playing and of course the well crafted songs. I did convince her to submit her music to the Great River Folk Fest Songwriting Contest though she had a taste for contests tainted in the past.
She mentioned she loved ours because it promoted every submission as a treasure and propped up the songs rather than ripped them to spreads with critique. There is a darn good chance I'm repeating myself in these stories since Siena has graced the blog seven times before this post goes live.
So let's do a deep dive into the 2021 release:
1) Trainhouse
This dream is so well produced by Siena she admits it took her forever... I love the perspective that she wants her path to change and she would gladly throw the monkey wrench into some else's plans:
hey, where are we going? I must have bought the wrong ticket and I’ve never been through this no man’s land before can I take this monkey wrench and throw it in someone else’s plans? ’cause I don’t want to ride this trainhouse anymore no, I don’t want to ride this trainhouse anymore
2) Dear Northland
Siena admitted to me later this came from a three word prompt that recently she shared that she cursed a little with it. The songwriter guide said paraphrasing, the best songs come from the hardest prompts. She went on to capture anyone's trip to the northern part of their world. So specific, yet so generic. It won her spots in Kerrville and the Great River Folk Fest contest. Pretty well written song as each verse gives you a new snap shot of her journeys northward.
Here is a wonderful recording of her at the Kerrville Folk Fest
J
3) The House Beneath her Feet
I've never known totally what this is about but it's beautiful.
winter is coming, but she's not afraid wind, rain, or snow, she'll patiently wait to enter the house she built beneath her feet
and in the morning, she looks around closely she listens to the absence of sound
4) Desert Island Companion
Ha... Siena's sense of humor shows up in this favorite of mine. I love during the pandemic her and her partner found they won't kill each other if they were hold up, especially if tacos are available.
5) January
Oh the pain of sadness and bleak winter; Siena captures this and arranges such a contrast of ocarina and sparkly earrings with opposing melody lines. Yes, one day I'd write something with half of this texture.
6) Moss in Your Name
I'm a sucker for songs penned in cemeteries, sans In the Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Siena weaved names on her stories for a rich textured song. It does bring tears to my eyes, and she admits some find it almost to eerie. Not in this camp... second best song on the release.
Ok I'm not going to give you a YouTube playlist for this post; but here is a one click Bandcamp streamer for the album. I highly recommend you support Siena and buy this. She has it at name your price; $100 would be perfect, but she's happy if you paid $1.00 and loved her music and followed her.
