Self-proclaimed minimalists Dawes are back with something more grandiose with their new album Misadventures of Doomscroller. While only seven songs, the album still clocks in at the normal 45 minute mark of a regular LP. On the approach to the album Taylor Goldsmith (guitar, vocals) states “We wanted a musical drama, an ensemble cast with linked arms kicking highly; a transcription of a band meeting we haven’t even had yet,” adds bassist Wylie Gelber. “Eight legs and eight arms, in a room, stretching deeper than we ever knew we could…The Intros have Outros. The Outros have Bridges.”
The album was preceded by a string of singles and Instagram posts with messages to fans about their experience recording each single. The first single to drop was "Someone Else’s Cafe / Doomscroller Tries to Relax". The band felt that it was a major accomplishment for them as the song clocks in at just under ten minutes, the longest on the album. They also explained on their Instagram post that it is in the top 5 songs they love to play live. While the song demonstrates how different this album sounds and the different approach the band took in creating it, this song felt closer to a final track than one that would open an album.
The album continues with a shorter track, “It Comes In Waves”. Goldsmith made this one come together for this album after having a few verses and the main riff, something he had in his repertoire for a while. The self reflexivity is at play here- the song is about the unnecessary pressure he puts on himself. All he had to do was take a step back and focus on something new and he was finally able to put this song together. This track is followed by “Everything is Permanent”, another 9 minute long single. This song is quite a bit more upbeat than the other tracks despite being about how everything around us is being tracked or filed away or things bought/sold and the breakdown of society in regards to these things.
Before the album ends with “The Sound that Noone Makes / Doomscroller Sunrise", listeners are treated to “Joke In There Somewhere '' and the “Outro” that follows it. The lyrics narrate / list everyday things in life, such as a “corporate coffee house putting up their Christmas decorations” and “some high school coach breaking up a fight.” Even the most mundane things in life don’t have to be serious. “There’s a joke in there somewhere, we just gotta find a way to laugh”.
Dawes packs the punch on their eighth studio album. They bring the same tone they always have but with more mature arrangements and thoughtful structure. Be sure to check out Misadventures of Doomscroller and Dawes’ Instagram for reflections on the tracks and the wonderful visuals they’ve put out alongside the album
Rating - 4/5
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