Oh Brother

フジロックField of Heavenのトリ/単独公演が大絶賛されたウェスト・コースト・ロックバンドDawesの2年ぶりの新作が登場!

テイラーとグリフィンのゴールドスミス兄弟だけで制作した今作は15年にわたる彼らの音楽的関係を表現したかのような作品。テイラーがギターとヴォーカル、グリフィンがドラムを担当してそれぞれの曲を一緒にライヴ・レコーディング。その後スタジオでツアー・ギタリストのトレヴァー・メニアと共同作業し長年の友人であるマイク・ヴィオラと共同プロデュースしたアルバム。フォーク・ロック/ピアノ・バラード/ジャムサウンド間をシームレスに移動しながらも彼らの音とすぐに分かるサウンドに仕上がっています。

Stripped down to the duo of lead singer/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith and his brother, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, Dawes deliver a tightly performed, cleverly written ninth album, 2024s Oh Brother. Dawes have endured lineup changes since the beginning of their career, amicably parting ways with founding member Blake Mills when they were just picking up steam. And although Taylors songwriting was always the groups signature, it was unclear how the departure of longtime bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboardist Lee Pardini in 2023 would affect their rootsy band vibe. Interestingly, rather than bring in replacement musicians, Dawes didnt rely on hired guns here, choosing instead to focus on just vocals, guitar, and drums, and to record the songs as a duo live in studio. While there is a spare, often demo-like rawness to the sound, its a surprisingly robust and full-throated production. Primarily known as a singer and songwriter, Taylor further reveals himself as an enthusiastic guitarist, his wiry, tube-amp sound evoking players like Robbie Robertson with a dash of Jack White. Similarly, Griffin displays his creativity as a drummer, making the most of a minimal snare and hi-hat groove on one song and then dragging his brushes over what sounds like a suitcase on another. This interplay is particularly evident on "Front Row Seat," a swaggering, Led Zeppelin-esque anthem about the troubled state of the world in which Taylor finds dark ironic comfort in the idea of being present as society falls apart. As his guitar bends serpentine shadows around his brothers bashing tin, he sings, "If its true that its a curse to live in interesting times/Then why do I get butterflies as I peek over the ledge?" Equally sardonic and cheeky sentiments pop up elsewhere on cuts like "Mister Los Angeles," "King of the Never-Wills," and "Still Strangers Sometimes," as Taylor conjures little vignettes about people at odds with their success, their romantic partners, and the pseudo-spiritually-minded, image-conscious society theyve ascended to via a mix of luck and talent. Often, he displays his knack for picking out specific references to make his point, as in the Jimmy Buffett-esque "House Parties," where he bemoans his partners more upscale taste, revealing that rather than visit museums or go shopping hes more about "House parties and local bands/Good weed with some Joni fans/Old friends playing Mega Man/And a little Donkey Kong." If theres one thing thats evident while listening to the refreshing, back-to-basics craftsmanship of Oh Brother, its that the Goldsmith brothers clearly know what they and Dawes are all about. ~ Matt Collar