IN REVIEW: Dawes - "Good Luck With Whatever"

 

Dawes have covered a decent amount of sonic ground in the 11 years since their debut album, and have become a rather prolific band in the process. To wit: Good Luck With Whatever, already their seventh album (first with renowned roots-based indie label Rounder), which sees the group shifting their sound yet again.

Not quite the radical departure their 2016 release We're All Gonna Die was and much livelier than their previous album (2018's Passwords), Good Luck With Whatever plays as a much more straightforward rock offering when held up beside those last couple of records. The nine songs here are infused with the same earnestness and sincerity that is as close to a Dawes hallmark as you can get, and so fans who gravitate toward this aspect of the band no matter what music they wrap around it will be well pleased by this album.

At this point, over a decade into their career, there's something to be said for a band that can continually tweak their sound while keeping their songs firmly in the comfortable middle ground between experimentation and conformity; it's just a little amazing how pleasant Dawes' music remains regardless of what sonic motif they present. No matter where they go, they always come back home.

October 2, 2020 • Rounder

Highlights Good Luck With Whatever • None of My Business • Who Do You Think You're Talking To?