High Notes

Afriend of mine introduced me to Dawes’ music a while back and I was immediately impressed by the band’s thoughtful songwriting and rootsy rock vibe. They deliver melodies and musical arrangements that are second to no band in their niche and since they’ll be in our area playing a show at the Warner Theatre on September 15th, I thought I would give my thoughts on their latest single, “Fisherman’s Blues”.

The lyrics for “Fisherman’s Blues” express a longing for freedom, love, and inner peace. Dawes communicate this longing through symbolic lines about the open sea and untouched countryside. The lyrics of the chorus further express this longing as vocalist Taylor Goldsmith–singing about the object of his yearning–delivers the lines, “With light in my head / You in my arms”. There is a hopeful and honest tone to “Fisherman’s Blues” as well. It gives expression to heartache yet at the same time has an inspirational feel that expresses the belief that things will get better.

The song begins with slowly strummed guitar chords processed with heavy tremolo and reverb effects. A laid-back drum groove is also added which is composed of kick drum, rim shots, and the subtle use of hihat and tambourine. Under the guitar chords and drum pattern, we hear a smooth synth pad supporting the mellow feeling of the verses. Finally, the topline of the verse is delivered with a soft yet sturdy melody sung with a falsetto register. As the verse ends, keyboardist Lee Pardini adds a rising filter effect to his synth which gives a gentle lift to the music as the song transitions into the chorus.

For the chorus, bass guitar is added along with drums played with added intensity giving the song increased weight and power. Harmonies are layered under the topline for a full and thick vocal sound that contrasts nicely against the verses. We also hear a faint syncopated melody line from the synth giving the music increased dimension and shine. Additionally, the guitars continue their slow strummed pattern except with added overdrive for color and increased energy.

After delivering subtle yet significant musical variations for the second verse and chorus, Dawes delivers a swaying and dreamy instrumental. The central element of the instrumental is the lead guitar. Heavy distortion and reverb are applied along with a tight vibrato effect which combined to create a lively electricity sort of sound. The syncopated melody line of the keyboard is also accentuated on the instrumental and the band adds more velocity to their playing in general.

Dawes is currently on tour and has concerts booked well into 2022. As mentioned above they’ll be making a stop in DC at Warner Theatre. You can find tickets for the show in DC and any of the other tour dates at dawestheband.com. If you’d like to learn more about Dawes you can find them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. If you’d like to listen to their music, you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold.

Fisherman’s Blues

by Dawes

Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant, and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.