Live Review: Dawes - Toff In Town

Fresh from this year's edition of Bluesfest, Busby Marou and Dawes head down south to give us an entertaining evening of country rock. Queensland's Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou play songs off last year's self-titled debut with casual ease. Their duelling acoustic guitars and blissed-out vocal harmonies are instantly appealing. Busby introduces each of the songs with amusing explanations of the ex-girlfriends and places that inspire their songs in a way that suggests their music genuinely comes from the heart. The lads are keen to know if any of the girls in the crowd want to have fun on a Wednesday night. This is, of course, the pretext they need to introduce their cover of Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, which provides the feelgood sing-along moment of the night. Unexpectedly, they treat us to their new song about a girl called Abigail, which, featuring the lyric “I just want you to love me”, has many wondering about the identity of the lucky girl.

Expecting only a handful of fans to attend their first headline show in Australia, Dawes are thrilled to find that they have managed to pack out the Toff. The four-piece from California provide a more vigorous take on country rock than Busby Marou. How Far We've Come unusually sees drummer Griffin Goldsmith taking responsibility for lead vocals while the band lays down the groove. It is not long before guitarist Taylor Goldsmith wrests control of lead vocals from his younger brother, who continues to provide backing vocals on When You Call My Name and Fire Away. The brothers' voices intertwine beautifully to create the kind of pretty harmonies that the crowd are here to hear. Perhaps lost in the music, the band pull some pretty wack, eyes-closed, contemplative facial expressions that put an amused smile on many a punter's face. Like so many young bands coming from the States, Dawes are another pack of young troubadours fascinated with classic songwriting and dusty grooves. Even their better songs, such as Time Spent In Los Angeles, sound heartbreakingly nostalgic and strangely timeless. Tay Strathairn rather stoically plays keys even when he is let loose on If I Wanted Someone. Nonetheless, his electronic organ adds a lush, golden glow to the mix. As the set progresses, our attention increasingly settles on Goldsmith, who is not only crooning his heart out but also dealing wild guitar solos and hooks that require a bit of frowning concentration. A cover of John Prine's amusing Crazy As A Loon adds a touch of comedy while sounding like truly old-school country pop. Peace In The Valley chills out the mood ahead of an encore that features the beautiful harmonies of That Western Skyline. Dawes fly home tomorrow to play Coachella, but Goldsmith tells us Australia is one of the few places he is reluctant to leave.