Originally a duo, Seafair expanded to a four-piece when singer-keyboardist Chayla Hope and guitarist Joshua Riehl recruited drummer Ryan Kelly and cellist Tara Hanish, both of whom had played in the terrific local act Unsparing Sea, to join them. The group then became even bigger when it added guitarist Mike Flaherty and violinist Andre Belding to the fold. Together, the six create lush sonic soundscapes on the four songs here. Album opener "Folding Maps" starts out as something twangy before escalating into an ornate indie rock tune driven by Hope's powerful vocals and a meaty cello riff. A narrative song about a woman in love, "Plea" sounds a bit like something by the Decemberists and "Just Faded" starts slow but builds in intensity. It's all good stuff. Can't wait for a full-length. — Jeff Niesel
Seafair performs with Good Morning Valentine, Humble Home and Noon at 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the Grog Shop.
