Saintseneca’s songwriting has always been threaded with spiritual imagery just esoteric enough to make you stop and ponder the infinite. So it goes on “Beast In The Garden,” our latest preview of the Columbus band’s upcoming Pillar Of Na. The track is strewn with references to the post-exilic Garden Of Eden, with Zac Little imagining a paradise where liquor is a bit less bitter and the guard dogs lick instead of bite. “Beast in the Garden/ Be still guarding the gate,” he sings. “Ah lonely angel/ Waver of burning blade.”

Musically, the track presents a third distinct sonic imprint from the album following the folk-rock power ballad “Frostbiter” and the punchy pop-rocker “Ladder To The Sun.” It starts out with a spare guitar figure that tricked me into thinking it would be one of their quieter tracks, but quickly it blooms into one of the most ornate songs they’ve ever released. It’s a remarkably beautiful arrangement, with brass and strings (and is that a sitar?) swirling over an intense rhythmic undercurrent. And as ever, the lyrical content is just as richly detailed.

Listen below, where you can also find Saintseneca’s tour dates. And if you’re looking to disappear down a Columbus music rabbit hole, check out this “Saintseneca & Friends” playlist I recently published in celebration of the band’s album release show.

08/25 – Cincinnati, OH @ beWILDerfest
08/31 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center for the Arts *
09/04 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Lodge *
09/05 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
09/06 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
09/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA *
09/08 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel *
09/09 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat (Backstage) *
09/11 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook *
09/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn *
09/13 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar *
09/14 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury *
09/15 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa *
09/17 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda *
09/18 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Main at South Side *
09/19 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Opolis *
09/20 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck *
09/21 – St. Louis @ Off-Broadway *
09/22 – Davenport, IA @ Village Theatre *
09/23 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hollar on the Hill Festival
09/24 – Lexington, KY @ The Burl *
10/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s ^
10/10 – Toronto, ONT @ Drake ^
10/11 – Ferndale, MI @ Loving Touch ^
10/12 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^
10/14 – Madison, WI @ High Noon ^
10/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^
10/18 – Boise, ID @ Funky Taco ^
10/19 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern ^
10/20 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge ^
10/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop ^
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ^
10/24 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah ^
10/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar ^
10/27 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge ^

* w/ Black Belt Eagle Scout
^ w/ Trace Mountains

Pillar Of Na is out 8/31 on Anti-. Pre-order it here, and pre-save on Spotify here.

CREDIT: Olga Pavloska