Tracer – L.A.? 2012

The great people at Cool Green Recordings have officially released our EP L.A.? on itunes and on CD in Europe today. You can order your copy over at Cool Green Recordings today, just click the links below or in the shop.

Local power trio Tracer formed in 2005 and ‘L.A.?’ is their sophomore release following on from the 2007 debut EP ‘Into The Night’. Brothers Michael (guitar and vocals) and Leigh (bass and vocals) Brown and drummer Andre Wise have successfully combined elements of classic Seventies rock, the desert rock sounds of Nebula and Fu Manchu and their own distinctive and blues-influenced style to deliver seven pristine tracks of pure, powerful heavy rock.

I must own up to being a sucker for this style of music, particularly when it is played this well and this passionately. Most of the vocals are handled by Michael Brown, whose raw, powerful and soulful voice suits the music perfectly. The band apparently spent a considerable period in pre-production before recording, time well spent as ‘L.A.?’ has a very clear and crisp sound. There are no dud tracks to be found here; the driving and insistent End Of The Samurai grabs your attention immediately; Don’t Forget My Name is a straight-ahead rocker; Wrecking Ball adds a grungy vibe to the classic rock template, while the lumbering Get Free is full of monolithic, bluesy riffs. The epic closer Sleep By The Fire features great guitar solos backed by subtle keyboards and a superb rhythm section.

Tracer head off to Europe for several months later this year. Given the quality of this release and the current popularity of classic and retro influenced rock’n’roll over there (consider The Answer, Black Stone Cherry, Airbourne to name but a few) it would not surprise if greater acclaim awaits them.

01. End Of The Samurai
02. Don’t Forget My Name
03. Wrecking Ball
04. Get Free
05. All Look The Same
06. Such A Waste
07. Sleep By The Fire

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