Dawes
Stories Don’t End
HUB
Street: 04.09
Dawes = Jackson Browne + Willie Nelson + The Eagles

Perhaps the single factor that sets this album apart from Dawes’ first two releases is the level of production. Jacquire King, who has produced for artists like Tom Waits, Norah Jones and Kings of Leon, harnesses Dawes’ brand of vintage Americana into a sound very reminiscent of the clean and tight sounds of Mark Knopfler and Jackson Browne. The guitar licks on songs like “Just Beneath the Surface” and “Something In Common” are clear evidence of this. Lead singer Taylor Goldsmith sings with what sounds like a lack of emotion, but shines through with warm tones and flawless vocal control, allowing the lyrics to exude their own emotion. The ideas explored on the album are deep, detailed and specific. Most, if not all, listeners will find something to relate their life experience to. Goldsmith spends a good deal of the album dissecting complicated dynamics of everyday communication and human interaction. If you give this album a few listens, you’ll find that its stories will stay with you long after you stop listening. –Chris Proctor