Album Review: Dawes - "Oh Brother"

Despite the loss of two of its members, Oh Brother has Dawes written all over it. The band still focus on Taylor's songwriting and storytelling, which is as sharp and funny as ever, and Griff's drumming, which is louder, bolder, and more prominent than ever.

L.A.'s Dawes have consistently been one of my favorite rock bands over the past decade. As songwriters and performers, they definitely are the cream of the crop when it comes to bands that pull from influences of 60's/70's folk, rock, and singer songwriter music. They've definitely had a signature sound over the years that highlight Taylor Goldsmith's introspective storytelling that's often traditional, well detailed, ironic, and full of self deprecating humor. The second half of Dawes career has been more interesting by including albums that range from the genre bending (2016's We're All Gonna Die) to the jammy, free flowing (2022's Misadventures of Doomscroller) to those that retain the band's signature sound (2018's Passwords, 2020's Good Luck With Whatever). All in all, in recent memory it's been more unexpected rather than the expected. Unexpectedness continues, where bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboardist Lee Pardini have now departed from the band to focus on their own pursuits (Gelber with his music equipment company, Pardini with other musical projects). It has left Dawes to a two-piece, where only brothers Taylor and Giff Goldsmith remain.

Which leads us to the band's ninth studio album, respectively titled Oh Brother. Two years after the band's most instrumentally adventurous album to date, Oh Brother acts as a simplified refresh, a restart for the band. The departure of both Gelber and Pardini leaves a massive hole for Dawes to fill, especially within a live setting (which I'll be curious as to how they will rearrange things for their upcoming tour) and I was curious as to how this album would sound in comparison to the others. With help from multi-instrumentalist Mike Viola along with touring and studio musicians alike, Oh Brother quite frankly doesn't sound too far off from previous releases. The band still focus on Taylor's songwriting and storytelling, which is as sharp and funny as ever, and Griff's drumming, which is louder, bolder, and more prominent than ever. The band's boldened, simplified, and fun instrumentation has a back to basics approach that is similar to their seventh album, Good Luck With Whatever. It's light, fun, and evokes all the joy that you'll hear from Dawes. Lyrically, it's a bit more playful and charming with a lot of social commentary that leads you in on the joke more than ever.

"Mister Los Angeles" opens the album as an upbeat instrumental with flavorful guitars and peppy drumming. Lyrically, Taylor sings about modern L.A. stereotypes and the agent's sappy relationship with the client in a funny way with memorable lines like "I just booked a Taco Bell commercial / I eat a bag of cheese without my hands" and "I have a friend who wouldn't name his children / he says that it requires their consent." The commentary is funny and silly but it's done in a tongue and cheek way and not in a bullying or mean-spirited way. "Front Row Seat" has a guitar riff that is large and in charge that comments on the end of the world as we know it, all while still finding humor in it despite ("we both stand around to watch it all come down, at least we got a front row seat"). "Still Strangers Sometimes" is one of the album's best composed, written, and most memorable tunes that has Taylor mentioning that no matter how close you are to someone, there are still unknown tendencies regardless. "Surprise!" is a slow burner if there ever was one with a gently building groove that slumbers along through its six minute runtime. It's a highlight, despite not fully deserving its elongated runtime, that emphasizes lyrically on elements of surprises that still retain even though they may not deserve to.

"House Parties" is a wholesome, lighthearted tune that's the album's most radio-friendly track. I remember seeing Taylor playing the then-unreleased tune acoustically during a live show two years ago and it still hits today with its charm and humor. Preferring local house parties to bumming around at beaches, seeing museums, or even going to Disneyland, it's pretty funny. It also is surprisingly one of the most memorable Kanye West diss tracks in recent memory ("How can you possibly stand that man after all he's done?"). The ball's in your court, Ye. "King of the Never-Wills" is reminiscent of earlier Dawes (think North Hills or Nothing Is Wrong) and still sounds solid here. It probably doesn't need to be over six minutes long but I can listen to that yearning chorus as much as I'm physically able to. The drums are booming and bright on "The Game" with some glistening guitars. It's not my favorite, but it's still appreciative nonetheless. "Enough Already" has joyous Paul Simon influence within its grooves and it has righteous harmonies and noisy guitars, reminiscent of the fabulous Blake Mills (I'll have to check the linear notes to see if he's actually playing...). "Hilarity Ensues" closes the album as a piano ballad that comments on the backhanded optimism and belief in society being as great as it was told to young folks before they end up being thrown out into the real world as grownups, completely unaware of what horror realism will ensue.

Oh Brother may not be the best Dawes album out there but it's still the enjoyable, charming, and fun album that the band are clearly capable of making. Despite the loss of two of its members, it has Dawes written all over it. Both Taylor and Griff Goldsmith grab these songs and tackle them in style, like grabbing a bull by its horns and showing it who's boss. The production is clean, fun, and likeable despite it not being as adventurous as, say, We're All Gonna Die or Misadventures of Doomscroller. Taylor's lyrics are on point as expected, and he's arguably at his funniest and most ironic as a songwriter. Griff sounds great behind the drumkit as expected. Dawes fans can certainly find a lot to like here while newcomers can appreciate its simpler, back to basics approach, charming lyrics, and hopefully it would lead them to discover more material from their ever growing back catalog. Listeners of Oh Brother shouldn't react by cautiously saying the album's title while shrugging their shoulders. Instead, they should be raising their hands and cheerfully saying that Dawes still sound like the great, genuine band that they've always been.

My Rating: 7 / 10

Favorite Songs: "Mister Los Angeles," "Still Strangers Sometimes," "House Parties," "Enough Already," "Surprise!"