On 'Stories Don't End', their third full-length, Dawes have continued to wind their way through the foothills of '70s rock, setting aside their love of Neil Young to throw their lot in full time with the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.
Along the way they have drafted in Kings of Leon producer Jacquire King and there's plenty of gloss on show, with Taylor Goldsmith's observational lyrics now carried aloft by production as sweeping as the LA scenery he's so adept at picking apart.
The rough edges, of which there were very few to begin with, have now been completely sanded smooth, but the grand west coast sound suits Dawes down to the ground. These songs would be at home ringing off the rafters of arenas, just as they would be soundtracking a Sunday afternoon.
Dawes' great strength lies in Goldsmith's clean, endearing vocals and his ability to conjure images and situations with a skill lost on many of his contemporaries. 'Stories Don't End' isn't a particularly exciting record, but it's certainly beautifully crafted.
Goldsmith is an earnest, articulate presence throughout and excels on the album's opening salvo: Just Beneath The Surface, lead single From A Window Seat and Just My Luck. All are breezy and open-handed with their hooks, but beneath the veneer beats his heart, replete with anxiety about LA's confines and the idea of self.
One of the album's major highlights arrives with Most People, another glistening track that pulls Goldsmith's verbose lyrics into a ferociously catchy chorus. “Most people don't know what it takes for me to get through the day,” he sings before flipping the sentiment on its head.
The second half of the record breezes by in similar fashion, with From The Right Angle perhaps the clearest Eagles homage, although it fails to settle as well. The title track is a thoughtful affair with another set of excellent lyrics, but it doesn't have the edge required to really get under the skin. The same is true of Dear Lover, a cover of a track by former bandmate Blake Mills, which strips away the thin layer of grit that made the original so endearing.
Still, as a collection, 'Stories Don't End' works. It's the sound of a band reclining and settling in for a long ride. Their next stop could be the very top.
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