Trace Mountains, fronted by LVL UP’s Dave Benton, is a local act you want to keep your ears on: just listen to "Cary’s Dreams" off their forthcoming LP, A Partner to Lean On, dropping March 30th on Figure 2 RC. "Cary’s Dreams" is at once subtle and upfront, humming with muted emotion and the crackling-yet-contained energy of a thundercloud. Benton’s lyrics have a quality of magical realism, infusing mundane social observations (by an unreliable narrator) with a sense of profound clarity, all the while imploring the listener to follow him into a state of mystical, ineffable otherness. "And while Robert opened his mouth to me/She was crawling in the carpet/Deep in disbelief of me/And right there I could see/That Bobby and her friends were part of me/In Cary’s dreams there are always animals in the greenery." On their own, the lyrics may not carry much significance, but combined with Benton’s alluring pop melodicism and the song’s fuzzy, synth-pop arrangement, the total package is downright compelling. Trace Mountains is playing a record release show at Alphaville on March 30th, with support from Operator Music Band and Spirit Was. Listen to "Cary’s Dreams" below! – Ethan Ames