Until about a week ago I had never heard of Mike Dawes and only discovered his music when he was the support act, and then guitarist, for Justin Hayward’s concert band. Like many lesser known acts he came on and tried to make an instant impression, which he did but perhaps not the best one. He was frenetic but he seemed too eager to warm up the audience with his showboating that he came across as fribbling about rather than a skilled and talented musician. This left me wishing that I’d stayed in the bar until the main act came on. However, after the first couple of tunes, he seemed to calm down, get into his stride, show his true talent and entertain, ensuring that I stayed in my seat as he got the audience on his side.
Being a solo musician, playing a steel string acoustic guitar, it is not easy to find ways to entertain and be different for a whole set but by the end of it he had convinced me that I wanted to hear more so I bought his album in the interval and, once home I gave it an attentive listen to see if his album delivered on his stage performance promise.
His fingerstyle and ability to play multiple parts on the guitar, at the same time, might not be original but his approach is refreshing and made it feel different. The first track, Cloud Catcher, is tranquil and would be an ideal tune to play if you were waking up joyously in the morning; if such a concept could be a reality.
Comprising of mainly his own compositions Segera accompanied by violinist Jenee Fleenor had a soothing, almost Spanish vibe, while Galactic Acid made it feel like he had dropped some himself without diverting from the feel of the whole album. Later, guitarists Jack Gardiner and Australian fret-man Plini added some electric nuances to PUSH.
There were also a few cover versions. Firstly the Foo Fighters Everlong had a fun feel to it, Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower and thanks to Mike’s creative liberties, it took me a while to recognise that it wasn’t just a tune sharing the same title, however it was those differences that made it interesting and something more than just a simple generic copy. Perhaps it might not be the cup of tea for Dylan/Hendrix purists but I liked it.
Then there was his take on Van Halen’s Jump. From the beginning it was more recognisable than ‘Watchtower’ but it was still enjoyable light-hearted fun that was respectful to the original while still adding a guitar body slapping approach that made it worth the listen. Then, to end the album there were versions of The 1975’s Be My Mistake and Night After Sidewalk (Kaki King). Both enjoyable tracks that seemed to complete the whole thing and make it feel like a smooth journey.
I found it hard to truly categorise Mike’s music, which isn’t always a bad thing as it makes me listen to the album with a more analytical and appreciative mood. Not challenging music and, perhaps, it is best described as an ‘amuse bouche’ for the ears. Perhaps it should be ‘amuse Oreille’? But I know that my smutty mind would never keep a straight face if I ever used that expression.
Perhaps not the sort of album to play while getting ready for a wild night out, but I am too old for such foolishness, so I would easily play this album on a quiet Sunday afternoon when I wanted music to accompany me while I relax on the settee or I sit at my laptop and write. Now I need to get hold of his other two albums and see how good they are. And, also, as a side note, Mike is also a guitar teacher so he has the chord structures listed on the album sleeve, however to a music luddite such as me, I had to grin as things such as BF#C#DF#(a)C#(d) or C#G#D#EBE made it sound like he was wanting to swear but was hiding the words with expletives.
TRACK LISTING
01. Cloud Catcher (7:02)
02. Everlong (4:28)
03. Segera (4:22)
04. Goliath (4:19)
05. Galactic Acid (1:39)
06. All Along The Watchtower (3:54)
07. The Wood Room (1:49)
08. PUSH (3:34)
09. Jump (4:18)
10. Be My Mistake (4:12)
11. Night After Sidewalk (4:06)
Total Time – 43:46
MUSICIANS
Mike Dawes – All Acoustic Guitars and Piano (11)
~ With:
Jenee Fleenor – Violins (3)
Jack Gardiner – Electric Guitar solo (8)
Plini – Electric Guitar solo (8)
Casey Sabol – Synths (2,4 & 8)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Qten
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 9th August 2024
LINKS
Mike Dawes – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram