Artist: Dawes
Title: Misadventures of Doomscroller
You might like if you enjoy: Dawes, Steely Dan, Jackson Browne
Tell me more: Dawes continues to be a stellar light in the modern rock universe, defying easy categorization while boldly displaying even more dizzying heights with each new release. The Jonathon Wilson-produced Misadventures of Doomscoller is Dawes' 8th studio album and it is certainly one of the best albums of 2022. Take the ambitious opener "Someone Else's Cafe / Doomscroller Tries To Relax," a nine and one-half minute song that somehow blends Laurel Canyon folk rock, Steely Dan-mining jazz and gospel-tinged elements across its luxurious run. The momentum and might of the album continues with the intoxicating acoustic-flavored "Comes In Waves," buoyant "Everything Is Permanent," hard-charging "Ghost In The Machine," sumptuous two-part "Joke In There Somewhere," and eloquent closer "Sound That No One Made / Doomscroller Sunrise."
To be sure, many of the longer-than-usual originals feature musical jamming aplenty but the virtuoso musical sorties never negate the sterling songcraft showcased across the seven-track disc. Dawes is Taylor Goldsmith (guitar, primary vocalist), Wylie Gelber (bass), Griffin Goldsmith (drums, percussion, background vocals) and Lee Pardini (piano, organ, synthesizers, guitar, clavinet, background vocals). Dawes performs on a double bill with the Head and the Heart at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022.
Robert Kinsler
