The Nine Seas - Dream of Me (CD)

“Dream of Me” is a debut steeped in tradition yet firmly set in the present. The Nine Seas — Liz Tormes and Fiona McBain— draw on the quiet side of roots music: close harmonies, poignant arrangements, and a sense of pacing that lets emotion rise in its own time. Co-produced with cult-favorite Americana outlier Jim White, the album folds originals and reimagined covers into a shared voice without relying on nostalgia or genre tropes. As Americana Highways noted, the album “hit me right in the feels,” capturing that hard-to-explain quality where a song feels both lived-in and newly discovered at the same time.
Critics have zeroed in on the blend of their voices, calling it “pure and simple beauty” and praising the way the harmonies “merge effortlessly” without ever turning precious. The production also drew attention for being “crisp and on point, inventive and never boring,” with arrangements that give every instrument and vocal line space to breathe. It’s a record that understands the value of restraint, and one that proves roots music doesn’t need to shout to be memorable. Spanning 12 tracks, “Dream of Me” announces The Nine Seas as a duo fluent in both tradition and subtle reinvention.  

In keeping with The Nine Seas’ commitment to the environment and a shared desire to help keep the oceans plastic-free, the CD is packaged without shrink wrap, minimizing plastic use wherever possible. 

The Nine Seas is a Brooklyn-based duo whose music feels personal from the first note: close, intertwining harmonies and songs that unfold gently but with real emotional weight. Singer-songwriters Fiona McBain and Liz Tormes have been making music together for more than 20 years, first connecting in the New York scene. They took their current name from 9C, the Lower East Side dive bar on 9th and Avenue C where they first met and began playing regular gigs together.

Their sound grew from a shared love of roots music, a landscape they explored by reinventing standards and early originals in a way that always made room for their voices. Over the years they’ve woven those influences into a cohesive whole, blending their harmonies with a sense of space and quiet intensity that feels both timeless and immediate.

For listeners discovering The Nine Seas for the first time, the draw is obvious: exquisite harmonies, atmospheric songs, and the precision of two singers who know how to leave room for one another. It’s intimate, unhurried music - perfect for anyone drawn to harmonies that linger long after the song ends.