Seneko Brings Back 90’s Americana

By Jake Tully

With a nod to Jay Farrar and the Wallflowers, Seneko’s  self-titled debut EP brings to the mind the nostalgic and warm harmonies of the formative early 90’s Americana. One reckons Seneko is emulating the sound from the scene that cemented the relationship of “Country” and “Country-adjacent.” Through churning drums and a faint phantom of accordion, it’s hard for the ear to pinpoint a geographic location for the lads (Connecticut) a factor that plays to their advantage rather than name dropping places of despondency and drunkenness.

Bolting out of the gate with “Blindsider,” Seneko passes on several whiffs of “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and appetizer that pairs nicely with the snifter of the Wilbury Brothers it serves throughout the song. It’s difficult not to imagine the group navigating down the tracks in cowpoke garb á la the “Handle Me With Care” video,  replete with Jeff Lynne hanging out the window.

Seneko (otherwise known in CT as vocalist Stan Olshefski) is clearly enamored with identifying among the alt-country upper crust, and for all one knows is some secret encyclopedia of the discographies of Steve Earle et. all. When the EP takes a romantic turn on a cut such as “Angles in Kind” or “Monica Lately,” it’s as if Olshefski is becoming amorous towards the great Americana songbook rather than anything tangible. With a long play due in the spring, Seneko has the Tweedy 101 course down. Let’s see if he can produce Being There as his thesis.

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Jake Tully

Based out of the San Fernando Valley, Jake is a LA transplant who is fascinated with the history and continuation of the Americana scene in Southern California. After moving down to the area to pursue a degree in Journalism from CSUN, Jake has found seemingly countless opportunities to find new music in the Greater Los Angeles area and the friendly disposition of the folks interested in the music. Jake enjoys going out in the field and chronicling the culture surrounding festivals and shows dedicated to keeping country music alive, but finds just as much solace in taking an evening to sit back and letting his vinyl collection wash over him. He believes there is a still a great deal of explanation to be done in order to help explain the divide between pop country and the bonafide music, and has made it one of his goals to entertain this notion through his writing.

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