Dawes "Stories Don't End"

 

"Why don't they make music for us anymore?"  You see that in my profile.  Common complaint from many in my age category of +/- 55.  It's the motivation for this blog as it's essentially untrue.  "Stories Don't End" is a perfect example. 

 

A little over a year ago one of my Facebook friends sent me a link to a track from Dawes' second album and asked for my opinion.  Can't remember the song but recall that it was impressive enough for investigation.  I was not familiar with the band at all.  When I discovered the record was pushing a year in release, I tucked the name into my feeble brain to seek out the upcoming album as that one was beyond my time threshold for purchasing.  When "Stories..." hit the market a month ago, it was an immediate buy.  As I made my way through the initial spin, I wondered if anything was going to eventually stand out worthy of retaining.  By the completion of spin #3, I was keeping the entire album.  One review said just that, "...it percolates and improves with each listen."  Damn straight.  I hear basically all the same influences as most reviewers: Jackson Browne (big time); The Eagles; CS&N; Poco; to a lesser extent, America; LRB; even Paul Simon on one track.  Others I jotted down were Blue Rodeo, The Wallflowers, and one note could have been confused with Roy Orbison.  This was the lead single...

 

That's the America I referred to.  The album is full of wonderful lyrics and bass-forward sonics.  Hell, I thought somebody had tinkered with the audio settings on my auto's system.  I was hoping to find the title track, which is a country waltz, somewhere live on YouTube, but alas, it wasn't to be.  This is another of my favorites...

 

They've been out on tour supporting Dob Bylan (intentional) and it's obviously working as the record is their first to break into the Billboard Top 200 (#36).  They begin their own headlining tour in a couple of weeks, stopping at Tipitina's in New Orleans, Buckhead Theater in Hotlanta, and the Ryman in Nashville, to name a few, and also hit the summer festival circuit with an extended stop at the Austin City Limits in October. 

C'mon, old farts, this band is for you.