100 Bands in 100 Days Presented by Verity Credit Union — Day 96: SeaStar

December 27, 2018 NorthWest Music Scene Staff

Today's featured artist is SeaStar.

"If you are in the market for something a little bit different than what we’ve brought you so far this year, take a good listen to the psychedelic folk vibes that today’s featured band doles out. It’s not hard to imagine them singing these songs on the snowy shores of a fjord somewhere in northern Europe, as a wooden ship is sailing off on another journey. Using broad strokes, SeaStar paints vivid pictures, foregoing paintbrushes for musical instruments and lyrics, with the thundering vocals of Fae Wiedenhoeft as the driving force behind most of the music. If you are even remotely interested in Celtic music, you should love the way the band blends it with other genres to come up with their own unique style.”

JANUARY 4, 2017 BY THE CELTIC MUSIC FAN

SeaStar : Music of the Elements

Since its official release back in August of 2016, Never Go Back has reaped positive reviews from Celtic music fans. I for one, finds The Great Silkie a fascinating song. It’s a wise choice for the band to make it an opening track because it warms you up to the style of other songs. It makes you curious and excited.

Powered by the beautiful voice of Fae Wiedenhoeft, this album of fourteen tracks succeeds in its intention of inspiring diverse listeners. The band’s musical style is fresh, friendly and also easy. What I mean when I say ‘easy’ is that it transcends the genre. Whither you are into Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock or Folk music, this album certainly has something for everyone.

From American Roots UK

28 February 2017 Review of the self-released title, Never Go Back by SeaStar, by Mike Morrison

Celtic folk from an American band who live in Seattle, just about as far from the Celtic heartland as it is possible to get! If that is not enough, not only do they play their own interpretation of old Celtic music but they write most of their own songs in that style as naturally as if they were born and bred in Britain. We know that plenty of Britons play country music as naturally as if they are Americans so I suppose it should be no surprise when Americans reciprocate, but it still is, at least a little. As is the case with the best of the British artists who play country music, their own influences and backgrounds are brought to bear on their music that whilst rooted in folk also includes echoes of country, bluegrass and even 'old timey' music.

Of course, their case is not harmed by the fact that there is so much talent in this four piece band, particularly the stunningly beautiful vocals of Fae Wiedenhoeft, although picking Fae out is unfair on the three male members of the band who bring so much to the music. Fae not only takes most lead vocals but also plays guitar, mandolin, banjo and accordion, with Ron Allen on acoustic, electric and slide guitars, Michael Falcone, percussion, keyboards and vocals with 'Captain' Chambers (or Adam Shea Chambers as he is sometimes known!) on bass guitar. Fae has been quite a prolific 'folk' singer songwriter in her own right over the last ten years or so with around a dozen albums in her own name and this is her third with Sea Star. All of her recordings are available at the usual www outlets and whilst I've only heard a couple of them the quality and originality oozes from them. The three men are all multi talented and experienced musicians with varied musical backgrounds from production to playing a variety of musical forms picking up myriad influences that helped give Sea Star their shape and focus and their own originality within the broad Celtic/American folk 'traditions.'

Of the fourteen songs that clock in at just on an hour nine were written by Fae, one is traditional, one is credited to Francis Fahy and trad., one by Stan Rogers, one by Robert Burns and Melody Benbow and the evocative Along the Tay which was written by Michael Falcone who also provided the excellent lead vocal.

The album opens with a gentle mandolin and guitar intro on The great silkie with a little percussion and Fae's beautiful vocal on a simmering, moody traditional song that includes some nice evocative harmonies. Fae's Never go back is a haunting tale with banjo, throbbing bass, guitar and Fae's vocal with male harmonies on a just below mid tempo composition that has a strong country feel but of an indeterminate age! If it'd rain clocks in at seven and a half minutes and shows what can be done with a sparse instrumentation if the song and vocals are strong enough. The banjo introduces us to this epic tale with piano and occasional bass assisting Fae's gorgeous vocal which exhibits a depth of drama that makes further instrumentation superfluous, with the metronomic banjo throughout being quite mesmerizing. On Stan Rogers Giant the melodic electric guitar has a sound that helps create an almost medieval atmosphere with Fae's lead vocal echoing that evocation that is deepened by the addition of what sounds like a bodhran giving support to the bass. The final track on the album is an incredibly haunting song with the male harmonies, when added to Fae's lead, intensifying the powerful sense of drama whilst the throbbing bass and lovely dobro sound create a deep dark atmosphere.

This is not a band that is trying to copy British traditional music but a group of musicians who have a natural flair, love and feel for the music, whilst stirring in their own influences and modern ideas without having their vision blinkered. The album is steeped in old traditional music but conversely is also highly original and has a strong contemporary feel, making me want to further explore their work along with more of Fae's solo albums. The best of all possible worlds!

Fatea Magazine features news, reviews, live events, interviews, gossip from in and around the acoustic scene.
Published since 1990 and exclusively available online since 2005, Fatea Magazine seeks to bring you
the best of new and established bands.

Sea Star
Album: Never Go Back
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 14

Sea Star's a Seattle-based four-piece band centred around the songwriting of singer and multi-instrumentalist Fay Wiedenhoft. The majority of her compositions are story-driven songs in the contemporary folk mode, these tending to be thoughtful but also embracing an entertaining element, as on the driving maritime-themed Little Blue Boat.

The album - Sea Star's third release - also takes occasional departures into the realms of Celtic and rootsy-bluegrass-flavoured Americana. The disc opens with a take on the traditional sea-ballad of The Great Selkie, and later embraces the neo-traditional Galway Bay (written by Francis Fahy) and Robert Burns' Highland Mary, all efficiently done, alongside a gutsy electric-folk rendition of Stan Rogers' Giant that would do Trees proud. The latter cover aside, though, the most persuasive tracks tend to be those where rootsy Americana is to the fore and the scoring's centred around Fay's banjo and a sparser acoustic backdrop - the title song and If It'd Rain being the highlights for me, along with the brief, yearning a cappella number Austin.

There's more to enjoy during the course of the album, especially during its second half, and Fay's strong singing voice and confident delivery imparts the whole album with a certain measure of unity. Even so, it can all seem just a little too effortless at times, for all that Sea Start's music is suitably accessible and radio-friendly without being bland, and with accomplished instrumental contributions using electric, acoustic and slide guitars, mandolin, accordion, piano, bass and percussion.

Sea Star's is an admirable mission, to maintain a variety of moods and styles while drawing the listener in with their stories, and by and large it's a case of mission accomplished with Never Go Back.

David Kidman 28 November 2016

October 13, 2016
From Ricky Kej, Grammy Award Winning, Indo-American composer, music producer and conservationist.

Such a pleasure listening to this album!

Verified Purchase of "Never Go Back" from Amazon.com

In Fae Wiedenhoeft aka SeaStar's voice, there is an ethereal sweetness that enchants. I loved "The Great Silkie"...what a lovely story this is! The title track is an immeasurably beautiful song of nostalgic memories and a great fiddle. Another track I absolutely loved is "Hjarta Og Eldur", there is such a lovely cheer in this song....a story of a far away place that is fantastical and magical. "If It'd Rain" is a quiet, quaint and beautiful song with lovely lyrics. I've been listening to these songs on a loop ever since I purchased them here.....I can never tire of listening to them :-) :-) :-)

February 26, 2015 - CelticMusicRadio.com - With a velvet voice, a hearty laugh, & the traditions of the Celtic winds, Fae Wiedenhoeft takes her listeners on a musical journey through history & tradition. Fae is an award winning songwriter. Her traditional sounding compositions and heart breaking songs are loved and revered by many across the globe. She has traveled across the US, Canada, Ireland, Turkey, and most recently Scotland where she played in Dougie MacLean's Perthshire Amber Festival (2013) and the 2014 Celtic Connections Music Fest.

Her Castle Walls album is a collection of 12 songs with a timeless and melodic Celtic Folk flavor performed by Fae Wiedenhoeft.

The talented Chicago songstress has been performing since she can remember, and she eventually developed a certain confidence in her vocal skills that would allow her to craft beautiful harmonies and truly drive the songs with heartfelt dynamic swings.

Songs like "The Wild" or "Vidalia", feature a relatively straightforward instrumental backbone, with the classic folky rhythm stomp setting the mood. Fae is able to take that familiar format and turn it into a personal and original expression. "West Coast Morning" is probably our absolute favorite track on the recording. The acoustic guitar arpeggios bring the melody from bright to dark and back, adapting to the depth and richness of Fae's vocal range. We love the "bare" feeling of this track, as it relies on two sole elements, yet feels incredibly accomplished and full.

The second half of the album departs a bit from the Celtic footprint, embracing elements of Americana and blues: songs such as “Parksville” and “Melody” are great examples.

With “Castle Walls”, Fae Wiedenhoeft set out to represent many different musical expressions, translating them into a broadly appealing format and earns a 5 star review from Celtic Radio!

Posted in Album of the Week, Ross Macfadyen

"I've just finished listening to your CD "Hope." Not since I listened for the first time to the songs of Kate Wolf or Mary Black has a CD given me so much pleasure. It doesn't pay to try to explain why you like a song or any work of art. When you listen to a song that hits the target it is like a watch where the time reads only "Now" on its face. Nevertheless, I'll try to explain why your music gives me pleasure. First of all, your music is not escapist. Life is full of joy, loss, happiness, grieving, blues and ragtime. As my old history professor John Wolf used to say: "history is just one damn thing after another. And honesty requires that we look at the whole picture." When I listened to your "North" I was reminded of Mary Black's "Song for Ireland." And your treatment of love in your songs reminds me of Kate Wolf's melancholy appreciation of the joy and fragileness of our relations with each other. Please, understand I am not saying you are good because you sound like Kate and Mary. You are good because your understanding is on equal to theirs. And BTW you play the guitar well. Thank you so much."

-- Orville T. Murphy
August 2012
Musician, Writer, Scholar

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