The Los Angeles rock band named Dawes took a sharp turn without signaling on their latest work. The group’s earlier releases cemented their role in the neo-Laurel Canyon folk-rock scene, along with acts like Jonathan Wilson, Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley. They all riff on the work of acts like Jackson Browne, CSN and the Byrds. Dawes‘ leader, Taylor Goldsmith, has gone the furthest in that direction, aided by the similarity between his wan timbre and that of Browne. But for ‘Die,’ Dawes killed their darlings, swerving sharply from folk-rock to the warm, ’70s pop-soul of Michael McDonald and early Steely Dan. In the process, they downplayed their guitars and drums, focusing instead on the funk of their bass and the soul in their keyboards. The result offered a fascinating parallel to the trajectories of Wilco and My Morning Jacket. Both bands made their own leaps from traditional folk, rock and country to something more inventive. At the same time, the new songs by Dawes prove catchier than anything produced by either of those acts. You’ll find more melodically-sweet tunes on ‘Die’ than on any rock album released the year.
Dawes performing “Somewhere Along The Way” at Sofar London on November 5th, 2016
The Fat Angel Sings 