Whether it be a move to a new town or a worldwide tragedy that's spun any sense of routine off course, the art of keeping yourself grounded and centered is difficult to master.

Dave Benton has grown well-accustomed to major life changes in the past two years. Summer of 2018 marked the end of LVL UP, the scrappy indie rock band he co-founded in 2011 while studying at SUNY Purchase. Shortly after, he moved to Kingston, a town of about 25,000 just north of New York City. Benton's new record as Trace Mountains, Lost in the Country, doesn't quite reference these transitions directly, but its ten songs point at a desire to reach inward and utilize a more authentic voice.

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Lost in the Country sees Benton expand from the lo-fi fuzz of his last record, 2018's A Partner to Lean On. His knack for writing euphonious melodies is bolstered by clearer production and an expansive backing band, giving Lost In the Country a full, uncondensed sound. "Dog Country" spotlights a lap steel guitar solo, exuding the rich warmth of Americana and indie folk heroes like Kurt Vile or Cass McCombs. Other tracks like "Cooper's Dream" feature a subtly ominous musical saw, giving Lost in the Country . These juxtapositions echo the state of mind when entering a new, unfamiliar phase of life: a sense of apprehension but a steady assurance that things, eventually, will be OK. He revels in the bittersweet roadblocks as he attempts to find himself, as if embarking on a peaceful, picturesque hike only to be interrupted by the ring of his smartphone.

For Benton, creating songs seems to be his only constant. On opener "Rock & Roll," he cites music as his North Star—"It's all I got going / Don't know what else I'd do"—although the lyrics spiral into a poem about how, even with such guidance, he sometimes feels lost as an artist. The brief "I Am Leaving You" depicts the severance of a relationship for the better: "If you'd open up your eyes / You'd see how everything's all wrong / And you'd get to moving on," Benton declares. On the album's title track, he depicts a moment on tour when the singer of another band found him crying outside the venue and feeling directionless and insignificant. But the story ends on a more uplifting note: "The soul in my heart is always hungry," Benton sings, as if sighing with the relief of waking up each day with the freedom to do what fulfills him.

Quietly confident, Lost in the Country isn't so much about wandering off-track as it is about finding the drive to move forward. The destination might remain unknown, but the journey is headed in the right direction.

Lost in the Country