North Hills is the debut studio album by American folk-rock band Dawes, released on August 18, 2009.

North Hills
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 18, 2009
GenreFolk rock
Length54:56
LabelATO
ProducerJonathan Wilson
Dawes chronology
North Hills
(2009)
Nothing Is Wrong
(2011)

Reviews

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk93%[1]
Allmusic     [2]
The Austin Chronicle     [3]
Filter82%[4]
The Line of Best Fit          [5]
PopMatters6/10[6]
Stereo SubversionB+[7]
This Is Fake DIY7/10[8]

North Hills received mostly favorable reviews from the music critics. AbsolutePunk's Gregory Robson said the album "is the sound of something truly astonishing beginning to take shape" with "near-flawless roots-rock offerings that drip with such a defined sense of soul, grit and harmony, it feels nearly criminal to label this album contemporary."[1] Pemberton Roach called them a "rootsy quartet" with a "tasteful vibe", and an "earthy sound."[2] At Filter, Kyle MacKinnel described the album as "straightforward" and a "refreshing reminder of our roots" that "notches a victory for the believers."[4] The Line of Best Fit's Melanie McGovern predicted the release would "be as easily digested and perhaps more soul baring as one would hope."[5]

Stereo Subversion's Dan MacIntosh wrote that "where ever this North Hills hideaway is, it sure sounds like the place to be for those in search of a quality music retreat."[7] At This Is Fake DIY, Martyn Young said the album was "full of subtle wonder, and in its evocative charms you can easily see how Dawes have become so feted".[8] However, Doug Freeman of The Austin Chronicle derided the album saying that "working a sound this classic doesn't allow for many surprises".[3] A PopMatters review said the album's sound was "too obvious in its attempt to fit into a certain mold", and called the effort "a last-ditch effort to hop on a bandwagon".[6]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Taylor Goldsmith, except where noted

Tracklist
No.TitleLength
1."That Western Skyline"5:58
2."Love Is All I Am"5:16
3."When You Call My Name"4:44
4."Give Me Time"3:18
5."When My Time Comes"5:08
6."God Rest My Soul"4:58
7."Bedside Manner"4:11
8."My Girl to Me"4:51
9."Take Me Out of the City"5:11
10."If You Let Me Be Your Anchor"4:25
11."Peace in the Valley" (Goldsmith, Blake Mills)6:56
Total length:54:56

Personnel

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Dawes

Charts

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The album peaked at #23 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Robson, Gregory (September 10, 2009). "Dawes - North Hills". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Roach, Pemberton (September 29, 2009). "North Hills - Dawes : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Freeman, Doug (March 19, 2010). "Review: Dawes North Hills (ATO)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  4. ^ a b MacKinnel, Kyle (January 28, 2010). "Reviews - Dawes: North Hills - ATO". Filter. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  5. ^ a b McGovern, Melanie (June 4, 2012). "Dawes – North Hills". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Miller, Cody (January 20, 2010). "Dawes: North Hills". PopMatters. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  7. ^ a b MacIntosh, Dan (May 28, 2010). "Dawes – North Hills". Stereo Subversion. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Young, Martyn (June 4, 2012). "Dawes – North Hills". This Is Fake DIY. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  9. ^ "Album & Song Chart History (Heatseeker Albums)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
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