Everything is cooler than nasally, refined indie-folk-rock these days. Bands like the Decemberists are doing fine, no doubt, but their sound isn’t exactly in vogue, pushed from the public sphere by pop and hip-hop. Which means excellent albums like Saintseneca’s 2018 effort Pillar of Na flew even further under the radar. The veteran Ohio band has been cranking out fuzzy, buzzy acoustic stomp-pop for several years, with a handful of solid records on its resume. But Pillar of Na brought Saintseneca’s strengths—elegant arrangements, lovely vocal harmonies, Zac Little’s winsome melodies—into crystal-clear focus. It’s a terrific work that deserves to reach more ears. by Ben Salmon