Coming into Oh Brother, I wasn’t familiar with Dawes’ earlier work. I am not privy to how they flow or what the themes might have been. I hadn't experienced the flows of their past albums, but certain lyrics always stuck with me. One in particular stands out: "Yes, you can stare into the abyss, but it’s staring right back." (When My Time Comes)
Oh Brother caught my attention for that singular emotion. Exposed to the abyss across 9 tracks, Dawes crafts a rich aural environment. Dipping my toes into the full album experience, 9 Songs, staring into my soul and mirroring back 9 well thought-out, buoyant life rafts in a dark sea of daily turmoil. Each song has its own character. Each of these tracks is a brother of the mother heartbeat that has created every living heart here on Earth. Maybe we could call it “kewl uncle rock.”
The vibration to “Mister Los Angeles” opens like a rhythmic rock band should, with the rhythmic punch of a true rock anthem. It's full of metaphors about living well, yet it’s tinged with personal notes like Conan O’Brien in the music video, someone I’ve always admired for his resilience, especially in moments of professional upheaval. “Mister Los Angeles” is filled with metaphoric musts of higher living like Gwyneth Paltrow telling you about more bio hacks and more time-sucking quick 5-minute routines to make you a better, more well-adjusted person. The texture of satire and sound advice is so beautiful.
Conan O’Brien has always been a hero of mine. When his late-night show was canceled, on his final episode he said, and I quote, “I did it my way with people I love. I do not regret one second.” That’s the spirit I want to see more of in this over-saturated world. Real grit. It’s a beacon of integrity.
Dawes describes themselves as "amplified folk rock," a term that suits their evolving sound. It blends the grounded, earthy tones of folk with the more expansive, electric feel of rock, creating an atmosphere where both simplicity and grandeur coexist. Oh Brother sees Dawes navigating new chapters in their personal and professional lives while remaining steadfastly creative, ambitious, and inspired. That is where the magic happens. The grandeur is actually a tidal wave of lyrical content that crescendos into your heart in a nuanced way. They draw back the curtain to their regular Joe selves while fulfilling the fantasy that comes with years of experience.
Giving you a “Front Row Seat” to the downbeat, the sound tiptoes towards the edge. Now you can feel the driver's seat of the system created inside a Dawes album. Now, I get it! From a single lyric to a solar system as a whole of sensuality, Oh Brother has shown me the way.
“The naked truth of our face-to-face is just not what I want.”
My awkward self rejoices that they can make these icky feelings into a sing-along song. I feel a bit unreachable these days too. The gatekeeping groove seduces your soul while the lyrics tantalize the taste buds of your mind, finished with lyrics like, “How many cakes do you have to jump out of before no one yells Surprise?” It feels good because the gatekeeper is yourself. You let yourself in. It’s surprising how many ways the word surprise surprises you. Rolling your third eye, I won’t spoil the surprise. Prepare to be swayed into the shameless victory of “Surprise.”
Midway through and rolling into the outro is the pinnacle peak for me, “House Parties.” Track #5 is much like the reasons that I love Hulu’s The Bear. It smells like beef sammiches and Old Style. It’s that moment on the Magnificent Mile when panic sets in. You don’t know where you parked. You think your car may be towed. A coffee costs $10 and these clothes don’t fit right. Inner bliss beckons you to get comfy. Be real. House Parties and local bands—That’s where I belong! Over a bright tempo, this song calms you and gives you a pep in your step to get back before the meter runs out. Parking ticket and boot avoided, you go back to the hood and switch into sweatpants. Another day is done, grounded in a moment of chaos.
“King of the Never Wills” gives chills. Perhaps it’s a tune inspired by the slowdown of being at home too much. Ain’t life just a big game of yin-yang? “Your eyes tried to take that laugh back.” Vocals on velvet, laying out the lament of dreams gone by. This is how we ended up on the Magnificent Mile. Dawes distilled a whole person into this song with reflections on missed dreams and the acceptance of life’s detours.
“I refuse to go on as a has been, I’d rather be the King of Never Wills.”
There are so many lyrical gems on Oh Brother. “The Game” winds up winners while popularizing the polarity we’ve all been wading in for far too long. Losers only think about the winners, winners only think about the game. The relentless focus winners have on perfecting their craft, while losers are consumed by envy. The song captures the sense of futility, constantly striving for success. It speaks to the hollowness that follows this endless chase. It sounds tame compared to the tension you can feel breathing down your neck. It’s a special brand of emptiness, indeed. I’m so not interested in even playing “The Game” anymore. I’ve given it up for a life of frivolity and critiquing Dawes albums.
Curtain drop.
Notice I did not say mic drop. The curtain once again rises for an encore and track #9, “Hilarity Ensues.” It’s a single spotlight, a smoking piano, and one more song inside this daydream of an album. This is the closer. From the top of the act, “Mister Los Angeles” to “Hilarity Ensues,” the album is complete. Nine tracks to keep the muse nearby. Nine tracks to keep feeding the creative glory hole. Nine tracks to mark what is happening in the minds of Dawes these days and a mile marker in the seas of life, a buoy in the hurricane of more media. Wholesome. The gentle breeze of piano daydreams and harmonica tastefully tap out until we meet at the stream again.
“Root Root for the Home Team
Buy Each Other Ice Cream
Live Inside a Daydream
That’s all it’s even been.”
The album steers Dawes decidedly forward, honoring 15 years of Taylor and Griffin’s musical relationship, as well as the next era and natural evolution of their beloved band. That spirit informed much of the writing and recording, with each track initially recorded live with just Taylor on guitar and vocals and Griffin on drums, later incorporating additional studio instrumentation and collaborating with touring guitarist Trevor Menear. Across its nine heartfelt songs — which move seamlessly between folk-rock, piano ballads, and sprawling jams while maintaining both an immediately recognizable sound and a freedom from expectations — Oh Brother sees Dawes navigating new chapters in their personal and professional lives while remaining steadfastly creative, ambitious, and inspired.
“All you can really do is find out what are the most essential, truest, and idiosyncratic parts of yourself,” Taylor Goldsmith says. “And I like the fact that Griffin and I are kind of clinging to each other and holding on to each other more than we ever have. We’re grateful for each other in a new way. But we’ve also been through a lot.
“It feels like we’re reborn in a way, and I mean that with so, so much love and gratitude to everyone we’ve ever played with before! This is what it means to be a lifer, to have iterations. It means having phases and chapters, and this is a very clear delineation as to the beginning of a new one. So Oh Brother feels like a ninth record, but it also feels like a first record.”
Dawes will celebrate their new era with the Oh Brother Tour, getting underway on November 7 at Knoxville, TN’s Mill & Mine with additional legs set for December and April 2025. Support on most dates comes from Winnetka Bowling League
DAWES - TOUR 2024/2025
NOVEMBER
7 – Knoxville, TN – Mill & Mine *
8 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre *
9 – Durham, NC – The Carolina Theatre of Durham *
10 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium *
13 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre *
14 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
15 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue Theatre *
16 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed *
19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall *
20 – Harrisburg, PA – XL Live *
21 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre *
22 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner *
23 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
DECEMBER
5 – Grass Valley, CA – Center for the Arts
6 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether †
8 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
9 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
13 – San Antonio, TX – Stable Hall *
14 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater *
15 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater *
APRIL 2025
9 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theatre *
10 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse *
11 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia *
12 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre *
13 – Princeton, NJ – Matthews Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center
16 – Davenport, IA – Capitol Theatre *
17 – Madison, WI – The Majestic *
18 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue *
19 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note *
21 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place *
23 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre *
25 – Kalispell, MT – Wachholz College Center *
26 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre *
27 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall *
MAY 2025
8-10 – San José del Cabo, Mexico – Viva El Gonzo ^
* w/ Special Guests Winnetka Bowling League
† Christmas In LA w/ Dawes & Friends
^ Festival Appearance
