Search - Dawes :: North Hills (Dig)

Buy this album to relive the live show

LeslieSue | Seattle, WA USA | 12/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first discovered Dawes when they were a surprise opening act for Ben Lee and Low vs. Diamond. No one was there to see Dawes because they had been unannounced, but the entire audience began to take notice as they started their first song (they opened with a striking "Mama!" in unison, to start the track Bedside Manner). I bought their album immediately after their set ended and have never been happier with an album purchase. I enjoyed their live show so much that I kept coming back to this album as a way to remind myself of what their concert had been like. Listening to it recaptures some of that indescribable feeling from seeing them live. With more and more listening, I started to love these recordings for themselves too. For the best listening experience, turn it up loud, sit back, and listen. Every song on this album is amazing. The best of the best though, are Peace in the Valley, When My Time Comes, and Love is All I Am, reviewed in detail below:



Love is All I Am: Live, this song is a lively summary of a healthy, realistic view of love ('Love is not excitement/ it is not kissing, or holding hands/I'm not some assignment/No, love is all I am"). This recording is more mellow and it's easy to miss the complexity of the music, especially behind how captivating Taylor's voice is. Turn it up loud to hear everything.



When My Time Comes: To give you an idea of how musically challenging this song is, when Wylie Gelber plays his bass parts during the live show, he sits down on stage so that he can move his fingers fast enough for that underlying rhythm, and he appears to suffer from hand pain afterwards. The bass rhythm is a fast-paced catchy tune that runs through the whole song to tie everything together. The lyrics resonate with the listener ("But every path I had taken/ and conclusion I drew/ would put truth back under the knife", "Oh, you can judge the whole world by the sparkle that you think it lacks/ Yes, you can stare into the abyss but it's starin' right back"). And of course Taylor belts out the lyrics with enough feeling to convince me he means every word. This is the kind of music I can get behind.



Peace in the Valley: This is an appropriately epic closer to the year's best album. Same story as the above songs. The lyrics are simple, but profound ("If I don't find peace in the valley/ I've got no place else to look", "But I want fire tumbling out into the night/ I want you to know why you hold me close"). They're also backed up by some solid music from the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard - often all at once. The song would be short but for the extended jam session in the middle, which is one of the best parts of the song. Expect wonderful things during this song at a live show. This one is the album track that I think comes closest to capturing the essence of their live performance.



These three songs are 5-star plus songs. The rest are four stars, but would be five stars if they weren't so overshadowed by the three mentioned above. That is, with the exception of If You Let Me Be Your Anchor and Take Me Out of the City, which are boring in comparison. But even these start to grow on you after 30+ plays of the album and are better than many other artists' best offerings.



Having seen their live show first, the album is not as impressive. These recordings are missing some necessary element to recreate the energy and enthrallment of their live performances. I suspect that they recorded the tracks before perfecting their performance dynamic. I think it's unfair to judge the album in comparison to the live performance, which is why this rates five stars. My only dissatisfaction in this album is that I know it could be a little better. If you have the chance, buy the album first and then see them live so you don't ruin it for yourself.



It may be clear by now that this is my favorite new band of the year, but they may be my favorite of the decade. And if you have a chance to see them live, don't miss it for the world. I'll soon be seeing my fifth Dawes concert in a year and they've all been worth it."