Having slowly built enough acclaim to sink a small battleship with their previous two albums, Dawes reach that difficult third and a crossroads in their music. By taking the best of 1970's classic songwriting and marrying it to a contemporary Americana feel they now find themselves in that heady position where they are seen as torchbearers for the genre.
Whether this is deserved or not depends on your own personal point of view but truth be told, Dawes make some of the most beautiful music around which harks back to the classic sound of The Band and The Eagles. Their production techniques mimic the analogue recordings of those classic albums from the past and whilst this may not be truly original, it is certainly deserving of a listen.
Which brings us to Stories Don't End. One gets the feeling of a game changer when listening to this album and it could easily have gone oh so wrong. Having tasted the high life with their Mumford and Sons support slot, the beckoning call of the stadium must have been strong. And lets face it, if anybodies music was made for the stadium it is Dawes.
So on the surface you may feel you are going to get another Rush of Blood to the Head epic but what you get is something altogether more intimate yet expansive as well. Not that you would realise this from opener 'Just Beneath The Surface' which throws all the requisite Coldplay shapes and sets in a certain sort of dread. This doesn't last though as the classic lyricism shines through and the exemplary musicianship reminds you why you love Dawes in the first place.
This is thrown right up in the air with second track and single 'From a Window Seat'. Sounding like a Hall and Oates song with full on 80's production to boot it is rather disconcerting although does grow on you. Reminiscent in parts of Talking Heads, it shows a new avenue of Dawes music where they start to experiment. This is a one off though, and in the long run this song sort of stands out like a sore thumb.
It is the majesty of 'Just My Luck' or 'From the Right Angle' that gives this album that personal, intimate touch. Where they could easily have adopted a big approach, it is almost Elbow-esque in the way these songs reach you. Slowburners which on the surface are rather obvious but scratch beneath and you find a cunning lyricism at work. Indeed, the cast of characters in all these songs hark back to small town America with the dog in the window waiting for his master standing while the people slowly walk by. Its a nostalgic image and one that threatens to turn into sepia but for the contemporary feel given to the album.
There'ss room for fun here as well with 'Hey Lover' standing out as a jaunty break from the heartbreak. Trading vocals become a wordgame of extremes as each member of the band remembers that it's not all looking at insular problems and strives for a break from the old routine. 'Most People' strays the closest to Coldplay territory without becoming mawkish and we even get a reprise of the opening track...now how 70's is that!
Stories Don't End is a game changer for Dawes and one that's more than likely going to work. Don't be surprised if you find this album propping up the shelves of your local supermarket soon as they leave behind their indie roots for world domination. By the end of the year Dawes are going to be everyone's favourite new band.
