Watch this Trace

There is a moment during the slow, final cascade of the song ‘Catherine Holly’, (maybe about nine and a half minutes in) when Tracer AMC could be anywhere. The noise they are making – powerful, overwhelming, but still thread-thin and delicate – is, despite the lack of vocals, remarkably eloquent and lyrical. The Belfast three-piece, when they’re in this kind of form are capable of conjuring up all kinds of mental pictures: they could be in a disused warehouse, an igloo, a space station. And they could be writing about anything – joy, grief, love, the washing up. Form And Flux, their debut album revels in these kind of transportational, but ultimately enigmatic, moments. Put some headphones on and listen to ‘Sleep Trick’ (Laughing Stock Talk Talk with ants in their pants) and the beguiling ‘Copenhagen’ and you’ll be invited to paint your own pictures: to let your mind wander. Just don’t expect the band to provide directions.

“There’s no grand narrative behind it,” says bassist Alex Donald. “It just kinda sounds right.”
“They’re not about anything,” Jonny Ashe, the guitarist, adds. “They just sound like someone has spent a lot of time on them. Which we have. There’s a lot of detail on there. The kind of detail you probably only get when you’re sitting on the dole.”
Form And Flux is a highly welcome release: both for the band themselves and the Northern Irish music scene in general. Not only is it of the very highest quality, it also shows what can be achieved with patience, perseverance, and a truly independent spirit. Tracer’s first single ‘A Song For Amber’ was released almost four years ago, but instead of immediately looking to record an LP, the boys spent their time setting up a small label (We Love Records), promoting shows, and schooling themselves in the noble art of home recording.
“It took us a really long time to get to the kind of level that we were happy with,” says Alex. “We recorded two singles and had decided that we needed another guitarist just to play it live – that’s when we got Michael (Kinloch) in. Since then there has been such an improvement. We’ve grown up a lot. I think that’s obvious when you hear the record.”
Recorded by the band themselves in various bedrooms on the Lisburn Road, Form And Flux transcends the limitations of its creation. It’s a big, mature record with a self-confidence and depth that deserves to be investigated.
Jonny: “We can really feel the benefit of the past five years. If we had hung around waiting for a label to pick us up and look after us then we’d have just been another one of those Belfast band’s who only ever make one record. We’ve done all this ourselves, and it’s been difficult, but we’re not relying on anyone else and that gives us a great sense of freedom.”
Tracer AMC have kept their powder dry for long enough. Now it’s time for some fireworks.
Order a copy through www.weloverecords.co.uk

The Feline Dream have never been frightened of irritating people but surely this is taking the biscuit. No sooner had their rather good new E.P Hell And High Water come through the post, than it was announced that divorce proceedings had already been initiated, processed and finalised. A cause no doubt to celebrate for anyone (and there have been many) who had felt the sharp end of their tongues over the years, but for those who had enjoyed watching the Neu-loving duo steadily raise their game since the turn of the decade (and the tracks on Hell And High Water are easily the best material they’ve ever produced) it proved an occasion of some regret.
David (Feline 1) Davis has promised to come back swiftly with a batch of new, solo material, while Nick Carlisle has teamed up with Gregory ‘Jupiter Ace’ Ferguson to operate as The Uterus Women. We wish them well, but wonder if the halcyon days when Belfast awoke to find itself plastered with ‘Kill A Spyde’ posters are now never to be repeated. We can only hope not.
You may be familiar with the Front Page compilations that have been released over the last few years. Now, the label behind that enterprise are looking for demos from Irish bands under the age of 18 for a similar venture. Check their website at www.musicbest-records.com for further details.
Hit The North would also like to send our condolences to the family and friends of arts journalist and writer Mairtin Crawford.

Leave Luck To Heaven is out now on Spectral.