Day 4, Dawes - North Hills

Thanks Sam for this suggestion. I truly love this album. Biggest score so far. Dawes does contemporary American folk how it should be done: aware of its influences (The Band, John Hiatt, CSNY, in this case) and holding tradition at its core. But that isn’t to say North Hills is stale. They have their own take on the genre, but without going overboard. Even by recording the old school way, live and on tape, hey harnessed a very tight, well mixed, professional sound, without any frivolous additives from the production process—something many fall victim to when approaching this genre during this electronic era.

The first song on the album “Western Skyline” is gorgeous. It is about chasing love, maturing and correcting past mistakes. It tells a literal story without sacrificing poetry. “So I followed her here to Birmingham where the soil is so much richer. And though my aching pride might guide my hand – she did not ask for me to come. So I wait for her all through the day as if I wait for her surrender.” Matching the content, this track sounds so incredibly mature. There are two guitars, organ, piano, bass and drums and at least three part harmonies, and they stay off each others toes. A truly masterful blend.

And almost every song leaves this sweetness in the air. 8 out of 10 songs climax with some of the most beautiful choruses I’ve heard. They wash over my ears with heartwarming harmonies and spirited melodies that honestly blows you away. And unlike Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver, they don't have to soak the vocals with a ton of reverb to make their harmonies boom-in fact they use reverb very sparingly throughout North Hills. Keeping the vocals dry like this opens the band up on a personal level because singers sound so close, as if the are confiding in you.

If you dig this whole neo-Americana thing that’s going on in contemporary music, this is a must-have album. It may even be a must-have regardless. And to top it off, it is probably something your mother would like too, which is a plus because family summer BBQ’s are coming up.