Fans of Dan and Faith Senie, commonly known as Dan and Faith in the folk scene and in the singer-songwriter scene, will soon have their family of fans dancing a jig or jumping for joy to their new Who We Are album. The entire album is packed with deliciously good folk idioms. It’s probably going to be considered one of the more popular and more flavorful albums to come out last year.
Opening track “Ghosts” benefits from a Michael G. Ronstadt moody cello line wafting through, creating a sense of the darkness that unfolded on September 11. Dan Senie’s voice travels down a melancholy path, an emotive recreation of how he felt on that sad and terrible day. “Ghosts” refers to the people Dan and Faith knew who lost their lives that day and how memories of them create a permanent haunting, something that none of us will never completely get past.
“Where Are You Now” combines a roll of gritty banjo notes and an old time fiddle line. This thick crust of folksy music allows a Senie duet to work its magic, conjuring forlorn sentiment with their lively lyrics and their lively delivery. Their bright delivery contrasts with the sadder meaning of this song, a song of those lost, in more ways than one, when some service members come “home” from war.
“I Want To Sing About Love” finds Faith Senie using her lovely coos and sustains to express her view of love songs. By cataloging different aspects of love, puppies, rainbows, peace, and children playing silly games. Her voice moves along this happy indulgence with a smooth, brightness, giving her song a pretty sincerity. Muscular guitar picking beneath her gives her song another line of authenticity.
Made up of a lithe cello line and a forlorn acoustic guitar, “Where Fire Once Burned” finds Dan Senie crooning in a steady baritone, a perfect compliment to the dark cello wafting around. This one makes a profound impact on the listener simply with its moody crawl, spreading out its dire urgency, casting a long dark shadow in the retelling of something that has already taken place and left its everlasting impression.
Folk music can be fun as well as carry an important message. “Dig A Hole” travels to a jaunty motion. The pair have fun keeping pace with this one, a bouncy banjo line keeping it full of energy and vigor. The songs message about coal mining contains as much sympathy as it does plucky meters.
“My Name Is George” slow, gently reveals the challenges of a trans gendered person. Faith Senie’s sensitive delivery lets us feel her look into the soul of someone who longs to be his true self. Singing with an emotion packed timbre, Mrs. Senie makes us feel her sympathy for this profoundly impacted person. With melody from Raianne Richard’s sprightly clarinet, dancing in the backdrop, Dan Senie’s chimes in with an equally delicate delivery, completely this song of acceptance.
“Dance Izzy Dance” dances to Dan Senie’s playful banjo line and Tracy Grammer’s bouncy fiddle bowing. A sweet observation of grand niece and nephew dancing to his music turns into speculative future roles for these cherubic creatures. It’s impossible to resist the bopping fun of the music and the hopeful lyrics.
As sweet as a nursery rhyme, “Gently Sleep” is an ode to a child who needs rest, rest after a long playful day, rest before a lifetime of adventure and discovery. John Kirk’s fiddle line develops the sentiment in the lyrics and Brad Yoder’s glockenspiel notes capture the sweet innocence of early childhood. This one is as sweet as candy and as a warm as a baby blanket.
The realistic story of “Se Llama Juanita” rings true is this age of disinformation about immigrants seeking asylum in our land of hope. The steady Senie vocals, combined with the vocals of Aidan Quinn, Christine Stay, and Joe Jencks in the chorus, capture the authenticity of Juanita’s struggle and perilous journey. Mark Dann’s few but bulbous bass notes puts a pull into this tale by making it more muscular and giving all of the upper registers something to move about on.
“Brittle Bones,” an ode to Faith Senie’s grandmother tell of the older woman’s remarkable life deeds with a sentimental vocal, a vocal that finds a good home among Brad Yoder’s soprano saxophone and Joe Jenck’s electric bouzouki. Reverence and awe can be felt in Senie’s vocal and that perfectly matches the life of the woman she admired so much.
Watching the clock in “Another Round Of Insomnia” inspired Faith Senie’s hypnotic chorus like approach. Her persistent rhyme scheme sounds as beautiful and inspired as it keeps the listener focused on her obsession with sleep, or lack there of. This one also makes for a finely different approach to songwriting.
“Love Is The Song” narrates the point that everything revolves around love. The duo’s vocals, paired with voice from Christine Stay, roll smoothly over Mark Dann’s sensitive bass line and alongside Faith Senie’s dulcimer. The voices, in perfect harmony, keeps this one with a flavorful heartiness, a song that makes one feel good to sing along to as well as fun to sing.
“Let’s Go For A Ride” recreates a dog’s excitement when he hears his master’s car keys, a chance for him to stick his head out the window and smell all that air in his face. Told from the dog’s point of view, Faith Senie captures the sense of the dog’s adventure as well as the dog’s gentle, family oriented personality.
“Thanks For The Memories” recounts Dan Senie’s summer learning to sail a Hudson River Sloop. His instructors and friends were none other than Pete and Toshi Seeger who organized events and built a boat to inspire a clean up the the polluted Hudson River. The solemn vocal work from Dan Senie and his tender acoustic guitar melody build a solid picture not only of the event of his summer but also how it helped to shape who he is today.
Packed with outdoor imagery, “Twilight Time In The Meadow” gives Faith Senie breathing room to describe the evening vistas from her front porch. With Vermont mountains to the west and fireflies lighting up, it’s a time to relax. This song has a relaxed vibe with pleasant vocals and mellow instruments weaving a rustic vision. This song is as inviting as the Senie’s experience on their porch.
Close out track “You Won’t Leave Hungry Today” is an ode to Nicole Bartner’s quirky Hartland Diner in Hartland, Vermont. The Senie’s serve up the atmosphere of the breakfast place with their friendly vibe and chirpy chorus. Dan Senie’s rollicking banjo line conjures the feel of someone who sings Broadway songs while slinging corn beef in a room decorated with toy dinosaurs and Broadway posters. Weaved into the banjo is Mark Dann’s bass and Joe Jencks bouzouki, more brittle notes with solid backbone keeping it peppy and even. If I ever open a diner, I hope Dan and Faith Senie drop in and are inspired to write a song like this about it.
Dan and Faith, as they bill themselves, have come up with their best album yet. This Who We Are album is loaded with a lot of fun, folksy singalong music, variety clearing the way for their talents and for their friends’ talents to flesh out their lyrical visions. Fans of Dan and Faith will likely be replaying this work, produced by Joe Jencks at Tonal Park Studios, over and over again because it brings out a spirited joy with each song.
