Under the Trace Mountains moniker, Dave Benton makes folky, lo-fi tunes that blend in synthesizers and post-production effects for quirky and occasionally noisy compositions. Benton, who’s also a songwriter in beloved indie rock quartet LVL UP, sings with a tender delivery fit to the gently building arrangements of his tracks while crunched up drum machines and softly strummed guitar propel his voice onward. On A Partner to Lean On, due March 30th on Figure 2 RC, he brings together recordings of new material and updated versions of previously released songs. The album release will coincide with a show at Alphaville where Trace Mountains will be joined by Operator Music Band and Spirit Was, which features Benton’s LVL UP bandmate Nick Corbo. – Cameron Carr
