BarItaliaa spent their first few years as a band quite literally defying identification. This only deepened the enigmatic qualities of a group putting out music indebted to the indie rock canon on a World Music label more renowned for its experimental output. It was a confusing introduction that raised many questions: chiefly, who is making these fuzzy lovelorn guitar jams? The band have released two albums this year, Tracey Denim and The Twits (the latter on Matador), pushing them far closer to a permanent fixture than some kind of riddle and away from the “mysterious” tag they felt had begun to become a cliche. “It tests your conviction,” Sam Fenton says. “You have to really believe in everything you do on a micro and macro level. At first it can feel like a crisis of identity. Especially when you have identified with being unsuccessful and being part of a scene. Then, when you come through it, it strengthens the things that you believe in.” Read our interview with Bar Italia at t...