Dave Benton aka Trace Mountains recently announced his second album, HOUSE OF CONFUSION, which is coming out in October. Following on from “AMERICA”, today he shares a second glimpse of what’s to come in “7 ANGELS”. He says:
“‘7 ANGELS’ is very representative of HOUSE OF CONFUSION on the whole. It was written pretty deep into the writing process, at a time when a lot of the album’s themes had already been established. It’s usually at this point in the writing process when songs come out the most naturally for me, and they are therefore usually quite simple. I think this song distills a lot of lyrical themes from the record – the passing of time, a change of heart, the sometimes wistful feeling of being on the road – in a fairly straightforward but questioning way that feels perhaps more universal than some of the other songs on the album. And that, to me, makes it feel like a nice introductory listen. Make of it what you will!”
Where “AMERICA” seemed to be Trace Mountains facing the expanse of the country and determining to take it on, “7 ANGELS” makes an intriguing follow-up, as it finds him somewhat over-awed by the adventure as he sings “I’ve been on a long journey to get back to you again.” With spattering drums and melancholic pedal steel, we feel the weariness in his bones, which is accentuated by his sighing voice – but there’s also a tinge of positivity in there, as he knows the long road is nearly at its end. That ray of sunshine comes fully out from behind the clouds at the conclusion of “7 ANGELS”, where a surprisingly bright marimba melody floats in; it feels as if he’s on the final stretch, with home – wherever, whoever or however that might be – is in sight.
Listen to “7 ANGELS” below or on streaming platforms.
Trace Mountains’ new album HOUSE OF CONFUSION comes out on October 22 through Lame-O Records. You can find Trace Mountains on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
