Story Telling
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Does your definition of classic rock mean the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and the Eagles? If so, you're going to love the third album from Dawes. "Stories Don't End" exquisitely recreates the sound that used to be made by 'the mellow mafia,' with each song drenched in harmony, acoustic guitars and no overloading bombast to startle or shock you. It's breezy California rock that could have easily dropped in from the late 70's, and that is meant in a good way.

Vocalist Taylor Goldsmith is often a dead ringer for Jackson Browne, in fact the title track could have easily been an outtake from any given 70's Browne album. They work up singer songwriter storytelling (the cover image is the band around a campfire, theatrically passing along some sort of legend in the dark), with songs like "From A Window Seat." Following America from one side to the other, it's a chronicle of the country and its loner/losers from a tour plane and self-examination, and the disc's best song. But that doesn't even take into account just how good some of the other songs on "Stories" are. They blend jewel precise three part harmonies (the title track), wistful lyricism ("Just My Luck") and a sense of classic pop ("Hey Lover") into a seamless album.




If you're nostalgic for the sounds that used to flow out of Laurel Canyon or just miss really well done singer-songwriter music in general, Dawes is just for you. They may be making throwback music, but theirs is not a nostalgic viewpoint. "Stories Don't End" is grounded in the here and now, and is a triumphant album to have in this decade.



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A Day At The Beach
4 Out Of 5 Stars


If you were jamming on your 'summer vacation' and you just happened to be the Counting Crows, the "Underwater Sunshine" is allegedly what you'd come up with. Your favorite oddity songs played in a loose and jocular manner, nothing too slow to kill the buzz, but nothing too rocking or you'll tire yourself out. "Underwater Sunshine" is a cool groove of a jam session, loaded up with songs as familiar as Rod Stewart or Pure Prairie League to band fan-club types like Fairport Convention and Teenage Fanclub.

This eclectic if steady album is a pleasure. Adam Duritz sings like nothing much matters, with a confidence that belies his usual nervous sounding voice. "Jumping Jesus" pops along like a song from "Discovering the Satellites" and was originally by "Sordid Humor" (whom I never heard of), but the CC's sound almost like the Grateful Dead at times here. Especially on Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere." Another surprise is just how Southern Cali The Faces' "Ooh La La" sounds...so much so that new California sunshiners Dawes' song "All My Failures" sounds like it came from the same pen.

That is just one of the many reasons "Underwater Sunshine" has had a spot on my CD deck for a few weeks now. Adam and the Crows may have chosen these songs from a multitude of stylistic sources, but under their microphones, they all sound tailor-made for Counting Crows. There's nothing profound here, just a solid album of enjoyable music rendered lovingly.




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