Review: Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 8:00AM 
By Lily Linquata
North Hills put Dawes on the map. It was a big map, and it was a well-deserved place on that map, but it was still a freshman album according to many critics. Rife with alt-country and alt-folk ballads, tracks like “My Girl To Me” and “When My Time Comes” hinted at a different side of Dawes: Dawes as American Rock and Roll.
Two years later, Nothing Is Wrong is less of a well-harmonized, yet melancholy recounting of a girl from the South, and more of an exercise in homegrown, rock excellence. It is Petty. It is The Band. And it is these rock giants in a very literal sense. The Heartbreakers’s keyboardist, Benmont Tench, offers his talent to this sophomore release, as does Jackson Browne. Arguably more impressive, however, is Dawes’s involvement with Robbie Robertson’s comeback. The Band’s front man has selected Dawes to support a series of performances promoting an upcoming LP, How to Become Clairvoyant, on which the eldest Goldsmith offered backing vocal work. Any critical ambivalence remaining post-North Hills is certainly gone.
While California’s Laurel Canyon is home in theory, the boys of Dawes have spent most of the past two years on the road. Out on June 7th, Nothing Is Wrong captures the essence of this transient lifestyle – both the highs and the lows – and explores notions of home, of belonging, and of the search for each. Dawes's story-like lyrics are thoughtful and simple, but suggest a broad perspective as they ingest and then wrestle with life’s bigger questions. While, at times, separating the calm lucidity from the sad exhaustion in their words is near impossible, there is a beautiful surrender embodied on the album. It will make you think. And it just may make you cry.
Exhaustion aside, such incessant touring has played a large role in the crafting of Nothing Is Wrong. Recording live on 2” analog tape in September of 2010 at Jonathan Wilson’s Echo Park studios afforded Dawes the chance to not only bind the excitement of their live act to an album, but to prove the evolution of, and staying power of, their sound. The foursome has used their time on the road to prepare for, to polish up, and often to write songs for analog sessions. It's paid off. In a world of spell checks, MP3s, and airbrushing, Dawes has affirmed the power of authenticity, especially as it regards owning one’s pedigree.
But two years of practice isn’t all that’s factoring into the tear-jerking, foot stomping brilliance of Nothing Is Wrong. The collective songwriting of the group is more advanced, the arrangements are pristine, and the message is hyper cohesive. More than suggesting that Dawes has arrived, this collection of songs demonstrates that they are home. The waxing and waning of love, the struggle to stay put, the asking of the big questions, the labor of the road, the embracing of California roots and the carrying of that sense of pride: it’s all there.
The opening track, “Time Spent In Los Angeles” is a perfect segue into an album that should be listened to as loud as possible, as often as possible, and on vinyl, when possible. Dense with melody, percussion, and highlighting Dawes's appreciation for and top-notch execution of vocal harmonies, the album is reminiscent of Springsteen, of Browne, of Petty, of the great Warren Zevon. The well-crafted, inspired rock tracks are long -- four of the eleven are over five minutes -- and though they might not veer too far from the conventional rock formula, they don't have to. It is the execution, the message, and the genuine wear of the endless days in a navy blue van with California plates that sets Nothing Is Wrong apart. Tracks like “Fire Away,” “So Well” and, drawing from Middle Brother’s successful March release, “Million Dollar Bill,” are stand out, though – truly – the album is, as a whole, pretty f'ing fantastic.
Bonus: Incredible video of Dawes from our talented friends at Kitchen Sessions:
Reader Comments (1)
I love your review of this record. I'm so hooked on it right now that I've been having to force myself to listen to anything else. You nailed it; Dawes is authentic in a way that I don't think I've connected to in some time. Maybe it's one of those records that just hit me at exactly the right time-- but I don't think there's a wrong time for a song like "A Little Bit of Everything" or "Time Spent in Los Angeles."