“Time Spent In Los Angeles,” the first single off Dawes’ highly anticipated sophomore LP Nothing Is Wrong, weds Taylor Goldsmith’s radiant vocal and twangy Fender with impeccable, heart wrenching three-part harmonies. Though the budding California quartet’s gushing nostalgia may seem premature, this ballad of geographic transience is altogether fitting given their grueling touring schedule since the release of North Hills in 2009.
According to frontman Taylor Goldsmith, North Hills reflects a softer, greener band that had yet to embark on a national tour, while the new record is “more like a live band, featuring a higher level of energy.” These road warriors have come a long way since their debut on ATO Records, honing their instrumental chops over years of gutsy, visceral live performances. Yet as “Time Spent In Los Angeles” confirms, they’ve also left a lot behind.
Beginning with a wallowing electric guitar, drummer Griffin Goldsmith’s emphatic punch quickly pushes the track forward alongside Wylie Gelber’s steady, smooth bass lines. The singer pines for a girl that’s “got that special kind of sadness / that tragic set of charms / that only comes from time spent in Los Angeles.” This pain-ridden yet inexplicably hopeful ditty reaches a crescendo with Taylor Goldsmith yearning for his sullen hometown sweetheart, as the track fades with a bittersweet yank on our heartstrings that only an unresolved love and the velvety, swollen purr of a Hammond organ can convey.
