Harking back to L.A.’s Laurel Canyon scene—Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash—Dawes embraces a rootsy Americana vibe that draws from folk rock’s creative heyday, but adds a contemporary country-rock edge. The quartet of Taylor and his brother Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber and Alex Casnoff emerged from the ashes of the Goldsmith brothers’ previous, harder-rocking outfit, Simon Dawes. Prolific indie producer Jonathan Wilson (Jenny Lewis, Elvis Costello) helmed this band’s debut album, North Hills, at his cottage studio, where all the songs were recorded live. This touch lends the work an intimate rawness and showcases the band’s crisp harmonies—and an emotional maturity that belies the group’s collective youth. Dawes are hot off a national tour in support of North Hills, including a career-making run at South By Southwest.
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