Album of The Month

Dawes - Stories Don't End

I really cannot stop listening to this record.  It is so gratifying when you get to witness a great band become greater.  And Dawes truly has with this most recent effort.

Stories Don't End is a continuation of the groups' mature, heartfelt approach.  Sonically, Dawes departs from the gritty roots production of Jonathan Wilson and embraces the cleaner and ethereal aesthetic of producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Tom Waits).  And I approve of this shift with grand emphasis.  Now Dawes' previous two releases were truly wonderful, however I find Stories Don't End naturally more exciting.  Even in the softer sparse tunes there is a sense of immediacy and intensity that I prefer.

Singer, writer, guitarist Taylor Goldsmith has outdone himself lyrically on this record.  He has sneakily become one of the greatest songwriters of his generation with lyrics that resonate in unexpected chambers of the heart.  Lines like,

"Have you ever thought your little girl glamour shots
And the events of that whole day spent at the mall
Is maybe a part of you, you didn't know you were clinging to
As if that's where the secret had taken it's hold most of all"

slap me in the face with a subtlety that gives me cause to rearrange my entire concept of self.  Now even if I got these words right, I still could not explain why the sharpness of these lyrics hit me with such gravity.  And therein lies the beauty of songwriting.

The record begins abruptly with an affect that is both soothing and startling at the same time.  It continues with undeniable grooves which drummer Griffin Goldsmith drives with accumen beyond his years while he simultaneously adds vocal harmonies and occasional leads that provide a welcome and satisfying curveball.  There is nothing like siblings harmonizing but these dudes really nail it.  Bassist Wylie Gelber bestows lines that bump and thump and define perfection.  I particularly love the breakdown section which features Gelber grooving hard underneath Goldsmith's vocal in "Someone Will", he truly shines here.  Keyboardist Tay Strathairn feeds the maturity meter with his beautifully composed organ and piano parts.  Nothing allows a band to rise to incredible heights as well crafted keyboard parts can and Strathairn kills in this department.  I am also quite pleased with the choice to include Blake Mills' fantastic song "Hey Lover" on the record.  Dawes really nail this number and the song provides a perfect alternative palette with its bold and at times raunchy lyrical content.

Stories Don't End is a fabulous record.  Well done sirs.

Key tracks: "Just Beneath the Surface", "From a Window Seat", "Most People", "Hey Lover", and "From the Right Angle".

Dawes - Stories Don't End on iTunes
Dawes - Stories Don't End on Spotify

Happy listening,

Ty