Singer Songwriter
RIYL: Elliott Smith, Songs:Ohia, LVL UP
By Anthony Saia
As one quarter of the band LVL UP, Dave Benton has made large strides since his band broke out of Purchase, New York in 2011. Benton saw their third album up-streamed to Sub Pop records just before they went on tour through Europe. From there, Benton and the group saw the last few years fly by as they became an indie rock success. Despite this massive success and serving as a founding member of indie imprint Double Double Whammy, Benton decided to switch gears and focus on this project, Trace Mountains.
Although it began as a solo project, Trace Mountains has always been a collaborative project. Calling on assistance from Crying’s Elaiza Santos, and live members Jim Hill and Liz Pelly. In 2014, with those members in place, the group put out Buttery Sprouts. From there, now two years later, their newest record A Partner To LeanOn has come to fruition. Comprised of some of those early recordings from Buttery Sprouts, we’re met with clean versions of the early songs.
Sonically, for those who know about LVL UP, this record is such a departure from the fuzzy synths and drum machines. Instead, we get twanged out guitars, some distortion and some country-leaning songs – heard most on “Forgiveness.” Conversely, there are some still synth-heavy songs like album closer “Thunder Trails.” This song serves as a melancholy end to an album rife with introspection, and frankly, a stark look at the political climate and how it’s affected Benton and his views.
There is a bit of darkness here. The album feels like an attempt to ascertain what’s going on in the world. It can be isolating. It can be moving. It can be whatever you need it to be on any listen through. There’s a sense of connectiveness available for those that are willing to open themselves up to it. Of course, this is all open to interpretation. That said, there are some playful songs here as well – especially on re-works of those early songs.
Ultimately, if you are looking for a very good indie-rock record that will land you in the same vein as that of Elliott Smith, Songs: Ohia, or any other musicians or artists in that vein, Trace Mountains just might be for you. It’s a well-written, well-produced record, and there is nothing wrong with that.
