Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Multiple Layered Guitars Stand Out on Steve Dawson’s ‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming’

As with all of Dawson’s projects that I’ve heard, his layered guitars sit front and center, but he’s also supported by a fine cast of other players.

Some people made better use of their time in pandemic isolation than others. For Steve Dawson—a talented and prolific Canadian singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer-engineer-studio owner who has lived in Nashville for a number of years—2020 became a banner year for his personal creativity, as he recorded not one but three albums that he released subsequently: Gone, Long Gone; the dreamy, steel guitar-driven instrumental Phantom Threshold; and this most recent one, Eyes Closed, Dreaming. As with all of Dawson’s projects that I’ve heard, his layered guitars sit front and center in his always imaginative instrumental arrangements. But he’s also supported by a fine cast of other players and singers (including such “names” as singer-songwriter Allison Russell, mandolinist Tim O’Brien, and drummer Jay Bellerose) who help him navigate a nice variety of different styles, including straight-ahead fingerpicking folk (both traditional and modern), old-school Hawaiian, blues, and more. He and writing partner Matt Patershuk have four strong originals here (my favorite is “A Gift”); the rest are from the likes of Ian Tyson (“Long Time to Get Old”), Jack Clement (“Guess Things Happen That Way”), John Hartford (“Let Him Go On Mama”), and Bobby Charles (“Small Town Talk”). 

But what a delight it is to be enveloped and caressed by Dawson’s sterling playing on an amazing assortment of acoustic, electric, and slide guitars, which he kindly ran down for AG: “While my memory is foggy at the best of times, I can pretty accurately remember that I used the following axes on this album: A 1953 Gibson J-50 does the bulk of the work on any acoustic parts, acoustic soloing, etc. That’s my main acoustic in the studio, but I don’t really bring it out on the road anymore. I used a Taylor LKSM-12 on ‘The Owl.’ On ‘Hemmingway’ I used a Martin Jeff Tweedy model. It’s kind of an odd guitar, but I love it for fingerpicking. Anything on the National [resonator] is likely a 1932 Style O. I used my friend Joe Pisapia’s nylon string guitar on ‘A Gift.’ Don’t know the model, but I’m pretty sure it’s kind of a cheapie. I have a couple Weissenborns, but the one I’ve played for over 20 years now is a Celtic Cross made by Neil Russell in Victoria, BC. I’ve beat it up pretty good over the years, but it’s still the most comfortable one I’ve ever played. And I used a Harmony Roy Smeck on a couple things. Smeck had a really high-end Gibson signature model that is worth a fortune now, and then he had a really crappy Harmony endorsement where they made the guitars out of cheap wood and leftover Sears’ countertop for binding. That’s the one I have, and I love it!”

All in all, a solid album with fabulous playing, a great vibe, and cool songs.

Glide Magazine

For guitar maestro, roots music master, and producer Steve Dawson the pandemic meant ‘time to get busy.’ Eyes Closed, Dreaming is his third of the ‘pandemic trilogy,’ all released in the space of twelve months, and all three covered on these pages. Consider Gone Long Gone as a companion album as most tracks stemmed from the same recording session with these elite players tapped by Dawson – Fats Kaplin, Tim O’Brien, Allison Russell, Jay Bellerose, and Kevin McKendree, to name just a few. As with Gone Long Gone, the four originals of the eleven, arguably form the strength of the album and were penned with Black Hen artist Matt Patershuk. And, given Dawson’s musicologist bent, covers range from Bix Biederbecke to Bobby Charles to Jack Clement to John Hartford to Ian Tyson.

The late Tyson’s jaunty “Long Time to Get Old” opens with Kaplin’s sparkling mandolin and Russell sweet harmonies mingling with Dawson’s various guitars and his veritable “house band” – Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (keys), and Gary Craig (drums). The first of four originals follow with Bellerose on the drum kit and Kari Latimer on harmonies for “The Gift,” a primarily acoustic ballad imbued by Dawson’s full arsenal of nylon string, electric guitar, pedal steel, and marxophone, the latter two of which emit some psychedelic strains. He calls on the string players, Ben Plotnick (violin and viola) and Kaitlyn Raitz (cello) for the acoustic, mellow “Hemingway” with harmonies from his daughter, Casey Dawson. The song and instrumentation are as with the title track on Gone Long Gone. “The Owl” also flows smoothly, with Dawson’s rather non-descript vocals (he can’t be a master of everything) bathed in harmonies from Russell and his daughter. The tune features Dawson’s deft acoustic fingerpicking. The fourth original, “Polaroid,” features the same cast as Dawson digs even deeper instrumentally, adding vibes and Mellotron to his guitar army to create resonating layers. 

In terms of the covers, his take on the traditional acoustic blues “House Carpenter,” compares favorably to that of the late Kelly Joe Phelps with his Weissenborn paired with O’Brien’s mandolin to give it a bluegrass tinge, yet ultimately a trance-like feel.  Charles” “Small Town Talk” will always be associated with Rick Danko for this writer, but this version with Dawson’s slashing slide brings plenty of soul replete with McKendree’s piano and organ along with a three-piece horn section. Dawson applies such unconventional touches as ukelele and pump organ to the rousing “Waikiki Stonewall Rag” and Beiderbecke’s “Singin’ the Blues” forming a trilogy of instrumentals with Gone Long Gone’s “Kalaniapia Waltz.” The combination of strings (Weissenborn, National, ukelele) with Gestrin’s vaudeville-like piano take us back to yesteryear.

Having opened the album in a country vein, Dawson encores with Jack Clement’s Johnny Cash-associated “Guess Things Happen That Way,” in a joyous romp punctuated with his sharp guitar picking and Gestrin’s pulsating organ. He closes, accompanying himself just on Weissenberg for John Hartford’s “Let Him Go On Mama,” an ode to a life dedicated to music. 

We closed our review for Gone Long Gone this way – “This is Dawson’s tour de force to date, among an already impressive body of work.” Eyes Closed, Dreaming is now a vital contender for that honor. The albums are two of a kind.

Folk Wales Magazine

Steve Dawson is a very talented Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter, based in the Country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee; Eyes Closed, Dreaming is the third instalment of his ‘pandemic trilogy’, recorded in lockdown conditions with musicians contributing their parts from various corners of Nashville, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver. As challenging as those restrictions were for an artist like Steve, who always thrived on the chemistry of creating sounds with fellow musos rubbing shoulders in the same room, this album rises above the previous Gone, Long Gone and Phantom Threshold – it mixes full-on Americana and age-old proud traditional folk genres at the same time.

Steve calls upon his circle of friends, which gels into a veritable Who’s Who of Transatlantic roots musicians; his old Birds of Chicago partner, Allison Russell, lends some stirring vocal support, while Nashville legends Fats Kaplin and Tim O’Brien add mandolin and various other strings to keep the cauldron bubbling. Drums, bass and keyboards form a rock-solid house band, together with a horn section, viola/violinist Ben Plotnik and cellist Kaitlin Raitz.

Four original songs – ‘The Owl’, A Gift’, ‘Hemmingway’ and ‘Polaroid’ – were co-written by Steve’s old friend and Black Hen stablemate Matt Paterschuk, and it’s a highlight on the album; the mysterious ’House Carpenter’, intricate Weissenborn guitar work and passionate vocals, Steve’s instrumental ‘Waikiki Stonewall Rag’ and ‘Let Him Go, Mama’, John Hartford’s ode to a quiet heroism of a life dedicated to music, are blissfully excellent. This is an album designed to keep you on your toes – every track is a winner.

Take Effect Reviews

A Canada native who now calls Nashville home, Steve Dawson brings us his 3rd installment of pandemic fueled songs, where help from Ben Plotnik, Kaitlyn Raitz, Gary Craig and many others make for a very sincere and eloquent, rootsy listen.

“A Long Time To Get Old” starts the listen with a very cozy, soulful version of Americana in the Ian Tyson classic, and “A Gift”, an original, follows with much attention to mood amid the meticulous guitar picking and mysterious climate.

In the middle, “Small Town Talk” interprets the Bobby Charles original with well timed backing vocals and a breezy, textured display, while “The Owl”, also an original, is full of vivid storytelling and a charming ambience that’s even a bit ominous.

Near to the end, “Singin’ The Blues” emits powerful guitar playing in the indeed bluesy climate that benefits much from absorbing piano playing, and “Let Him Go On Mama” exits the listen with just Dawson’s bright imagery and flowing acoustic guitar that carries a timeless folk spirit.

An artist who wears many hats, Dawson is also a session player, sideman, and acclaimed producer, and this very diverse body of work brings in horns, is often busy, but can also retreat to calm. It might also be one of the best albums of the year, which, if you’re looking at his past work, isn’t so surprising.

Terrascope UK

This is Canadian Steve Dawson’s third album in a year, following on from last year’s ambient pedal steel informed Phantom Threshold, which along with Gone, Long Gone, make up Steve’s pandemic trilogy.

The band for this recording is Jay Bellerose and Gary Craig on drums, Jeremy Holmes plays bass, Fats Kaplin and Tim O’Brien add various stringed instruments, Chris Gestrin and Kevin McKendree add keyboards and Ben Plotnik viola/violin, Kaitlyn Raitz plays cello, plus there are also horns on a couple of tracks and exquisite backing vocals by Keri Latimer and Steve’s daughter Casey Dawson. Allison Russell also adds her considerable vocal talent support on three tracks.

He is an exceptional guitar player and the closest that I’ve heard to David Lindley, in his style of slide guitar playing, yes that good! He also plays electric and acoustic guitar and is a master pedal steel player and like David he loves to play a Weissenborn guitar. We sadly lost David recently and also Steve’s fellow Canadian countryman Ian Tyson, this new album kicks off with one of Ian’s songs, ‘Long Time To Get Old’. This is followed by ‘A Gift’, a nylon stringed acoustic tale concerning the gift of a knife given to a granddaughter, reminiscent of Guy Clarks Randall Knife, it also has some of the finest, swooping pedal steel notes I’ve heard in many a moon, which fall like blossom throughout the song, very, very nice indeed, oh and Steve also adds a touch of marxophone too.

Third track is a dramatic original ‘Hemingway’, a song about a hotel and its stories, decorated by a string quartet. Then it’s on to a traditional song with ‘House Carpenter’, a folky number replete with a mandolin solo by Tim, picking up where Pentangle and Bert Jansch left off. A long time favourite song by Bobby Charles appears next, Steve delivers a fine rendition of Bobby’s ‘Small Town Talk’, this features horns with tenor and baritone sax plus trumpet and plenty of slippery, slide guitars. Steve plays a mix of originals, covers and traditional songs and the following ‘Owl’ is one of Steve’s original compositions, which he informs with 12 string and lap steel. It’s a terrific ghostly tale, atmospheric and haunting.

A Steve Dawson album wouldn’t be complete without a Hawaiian number and Steve gets to grips with his Weissenborn for the tasty, instrumental ‘Waikiki Stonewall Rag’. ‘Polaroid’, is another original, sepia tinged delight and sees Steve play electric, acoustic, pedal steel, Mellotron and vibraphone. A great, lively instrumental version of the old traditional song Singin’, The Blues follows and swings like a devil. Steve takes the Jack (stack a track) Clement’s song ‘Guess Things Happen That Way’, out into the countryside, replete with pump organ and slide guitar breaks.

He finishes the album off with a solo performance of John Hartford’s classic ‘Let Him Go On Mama’, on which he accompanies himself with his trusty Weissenborn guitar. This is a great album and highly recommended indeed.

Lancashire Telegraph

Canadian born and Nashville based musician Dawson’s name has become synonymous with eclecticism and consummate artistry since he began his performing career some three decades ago, and his latest album for Black Hen Music is a typically wide ranging and soulful affair. Steve’s choice of subject matter ranges from timeless traditional ballads to twenties jazz and subtly memorable ditties such as John Hartford’s “Let Him Go On Mama” and Bobby Charles’ “Small Town Talk,” aided and abetted by top notch sidemen including Tim O’Brien and Fats Kaplin.

Blues Blues UK

Nashville based Canadian Steve Dawson is becoming quite prolific with this, his third album in a year. You could be excused for saying that he might be a little jaded because of that but nothing could be further from the truth. This is, in fact, the third instalment of his ‘pandemic trilogy’ which was recorded under lockdown conditions and along with a number of friends who happen to be high level Roots musicians in their own rite, he has brought us an album full of warmth opening with the cautionary tale of Long Time To Get Old. It’s about not wasting your life and you’ll get there someday but no need to rush! Slide guitar from Dawson plays over some strong backing vocals from Allison Russell and Fats Kaplin’s acoustic solo on mandolin. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is a master musician. A very easy to listen to and lively opener and a great start. Next up is one of four singles, A Gift, and his fingerpicked acoustic guitar just breezes in to your mind. This already has the makings of a top album. Another of the singles is Hemingway and he’s following the acoustic fingerpicked route again. This is smooth and gentle with strings involved and a story that just sweeps over you. I thought that there may have been an accordion in there but it may well be the Moog of Chris Gestrin or a fretless zither called a Marxophone played by Steve. House Carpenter has some lovely Weissenborn playing from Steve as he delivers an effortless note bending extraordinaire. It's Folk influenced and gets better and better with each line. Tim O’Brien on mandolin is excellent, not an easy instrument to play. It’s back to electric for the third of the singles, Small Town Talk. Suitably laid back, he has an easy way with his delivery and the fluid solo stands out. I would say that acoustic is his field and on The Owl we get him at his very best. Folk influenced again, there’s a lot going on in the background as he sings away. There is some very good lap steel in amongst it all.

The last of the singles, Waikiki Stonewall Rag, has him showing his versatility again with this Ragtime instrumental played on Weissenborn, National guitar and slide ukelele. An overall jaunty feel is enhanced by Gary Craig’s brushed drums and Gestrin’s pump organ. The sombre and reminiscing Polaroid is a tale of what we can take from a photograph. He’s in retrospective mood here, and makes the listener feel that too, but his pedal steel and intricate guitar solo snaps us out of it. There’s a Hawaiian tinge to Singin’ The Blues with Steve’s guitar complemented by Gestrin’s barroom piano. Is it the famous song? Who knows as this relaxed and fulfilling instrumental gives no clues. He gets a certain bounce on some of his songs and Guess Things Happen That Way is a point in case. It’s almost like a jug band song and he makes you feel at ease with his matter-of-fact delivery, effective lyric and an on-form slide guitar again. He closes with Let Him Go On Mama and he returns to Country for the finish. He is a true storyteller and social commentator and you feel as if you are in a conversation with him. His finger picking and slide are superb as they have been throughout.

I once described Steve Dawson as a jack of all trades and master of them all. There’s nothing here to dissuade me from that!

Americana UK

A third solo album from Steve Dawson in three years – and he has other side projects as well – might cause a slight twinge of nervousness for his listeners.  That’s a lot of music in a short time – true enough, but Steve Dawson has pulled off the remarkable trick of being highly productive without losing a hold of the quality control, to the extent that this may be the best of the recent solo albums.  There’s certainly a boost on the opener ‘Long Time To Grow Old‘ which features the distinctive vocals of Allison Russell on this warm and funky take on the Ian Tyson song.  All the more remarkable that this is, like the two previous albums, a pandemic recording with ‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming‘ yes benefitting from a plethora of the Nashville-based Dawson’s musical friends and colleagues – but not recording together as in the way we’ve now become used to parts were recorded in various home studies in Nashville, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver and then quite expertly stitched together to give a real feel of the sessions being recorded in person and very much together.

‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming‘ blends together a range of styles – there’s an atmospheric take on the traditional ‘House Carpenter‘ given an extra edge by Steve Dawson’s Weissenborn guitar and Tim O’Brien’s lively mandolin.  There’s more Weissenborn as well as National guitar and ukulele on the jazzy instrumental ‘Waikiki Stonewall Rag‘ whilst the early blues of ‘Singin’ The Blues‘ adds a little electric guitar to those three instruments.  It’s not all covers and traditional or early 20th century inspired music – there are four co-writes with Matt Patershuk that show some inspired storytelling.  ‘The Owl‘ invokes a mysterious night scene and the stillness of an owl as it glides to land, and sleep, an allegory for a rare and precious intimacy: “You find her nestled in the sage / Her feathers wink with the dew / You creep slow, lest she awake / Perhaps she was waiting for you.”  On ‘A Gift‘ it is the passing on of a treasured Swedish Steel Knife to the next generation, in a box carefully handcrafted to make it secure – it’s the passing on of traditions, of course, but there’s an infinite familial care embodied in the making of the gift.  The same care required in the raising of a child to be able to survive in the world without your help or, eventually, presence.  ‘Hemingway‘ imagines a conversation with the writer which revolves around embracing directness and honesty and knowing oneself for good or bad “we think we’re so damn smart / Talking trash that don’t come from the heart / Lie to yourself but not too well.” The final new song ‘Polaroid‘ also examines the nature of truth – as the slow revealed soft focus of a Polaroid image is extolled as presenting some kind of insight into its subject that modern techniques can’t achieve “Took some pictures the other day but they ain’t the same / A little too sharp and they’ve been cropped to fit the frame / Too right to be a memory, not made in real time.”

To take an eclectic mix of ancient folk, modern singer-songwriter, a dash of jazz and early blues and make it come out as a coherent album is no small feat.  On ‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming‘ that is what Steve Dawson has achieved – and it’s an excellent listen because of that.

Blabber n Smoke (Ireland)

And so, the third of Steve Dawson’s “pandemic” trilogy hits the shelves, drawing to a close his year long release strategy on a very triumphant note. As with its predecessors, Eyes Closed, Dreaming was recorded remotely with musicians joining in from Nashville, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver with never a join to be heard, the whole skilfully woven together by Dawson in the producer’s chair. In terms of the trilogy, Eyes Closed, Dreaming is a close cousin of the first release, Gone, Long Gong, both being a collection of songs excellently played and using both his fellow players and his undoubted guitars skills quite perfectly. And while Phantom Threshold, the middle release of the trilogy was an intriguing collection of instrumental music, it’s great to hear Dawson back on his rootsy song saddle.

More top heavy on covers than Gone, Long Gone, Eyes Closed, Dreaming nevertheless features four excellent songs written by Dawson and Matt Patershuk which easily equal those on the earlier album. Two of these find the writers delving into the area of Child ballads. A Gift is a beautiful song, tinged with a hint of danger and played with a tender sense of purity, the highlight being Dawson’s pedal steel playing. The Owl is not dissimilar although it harks more to the ensemble playing of the Pentangle in their heyday. Meanwhile Hemingway is an intimate reflection on the author with Dawson’s acoustic guitar opening recalling Bert Jansch before a string section billows in giving the song a very nice yet restrained sense of majesty. The best however is the gentle meditation on the nostalgia and affection contained within a simple Polaroid snapshot on the song titled Polaroid. The lyrics bring to life the experience of taking such a snap as Dawson sings of the picture “slowly fading into view” and the way that “light was reflected from your face and onto this very page.”

Elsewhere Dawson rewards those who love his gutbucket R’n’B with the opening song, Ian Tyson’s Long Time To Get Old which is suffused with his slide guitar licks while Allison Russell sings gustily along with him. There’s more of this Ry Cooder like humbucking on a grand cover of Jack Clement’s Guess Things Happen That Way while Cooder comes to mind again on the Hawaiian styled Waikiki Stonewall Rag and on the lazy swingtime of Singin’ The Blues, both allowing Dawson plenty of space to impress on Weissenborn, National guitar and ukulele.

Rounding up the covers, Dawson breathes new life into that old folk chestnut, House Carpenter. With Tim O’Brien on mandolin, Dawson performs it in a modern bluegrass fashion giving Billy Strings a run for his money. He closes the album with a solo performance of John Hartford’s Let Him Go On Mama which is perky and affectionate and, it goes without saying, perfectly performed.

Aside from a cover of Bobby Charles’ Small Town Talk which, for this reviewer, didn’t really take off, with Dawson straining to get the right vocal vibe, Eyes Closed, Dreaming is a further reminder that Dawson really deserves to be as well known for his solo endeavours as for his multitude of studio sessions and production work.

Best of Western New York

Nashville based Canadian musician Steve Dawson is on a roll having released three exceptional albums within a year including the latest in his pandemic trilogy titled Eyes Closed, Dreaming an eleven song collection of Roots music. Dawson along with his Henhouse Studio and house band there are gaining quite the formidable reputation as the go to guys for the best sounding recordings. His solo work is just as outstanding as these records show. Helping Dawson (guitars/vocals and more) on Eyes Closed, Dreaming are the Henhouse Studio house band Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (keyboards) and Kevin McKendree (Keyboards). Special guests include Allison Russell (vocals), Nashville legends Fats Kaplin (mandolin) and Tim O'Brien (mandolin), Jay Bellerose (drums), Keri Latimer (vocals) and Dawson's daughter Casey Dawson (vocals). Highlights among the tracks on Eyes Closed, Dreaming include a cover of Ian Tyson's "Long Time To Get Old" with outstanding vocals from Russell, the sweetly picked "A Gift", the string section sweetened "Hemmingway", a dulcet run through the traditional "House Carpenter", an easy laid back and soulful cover of Bobby Charles' "Small Town Talk", the refreshing instrumental "Waikiki Stonewall Rag", the reflective "Polaroid", a boozy sounding take on another traditional "Singin' The Blues", a greasy run through the Cowboy Jack Clement penned "Guess Things Happen That Way" most notably done by Johnny Cash and a cover of John Hartford's "Let Him Go On Mama" that closes the album and feature Dawson playing the Weissenborn. The latest from Steve Dawson Eyes Closed, Dreaming is a masterwork and satisfying selection of Roots music.

Country Music People (UK)

Eyes Closed, Dreaming is the third album of Nashville-based, Canadian musician Steve Dawson’s “Pandemic Trilogy” and possibly the best (the previous two instalments being Gone Long Gone and Phantom Threshold).
It was recorded under lockdown conditions with artists contributing from Nashville, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver. Five of the eleven tracks are original, with four of them written with his old friend Matt Patershuk. The remaining tracks are smartly chosen covers written by Ian Tyson, Bobby Charles, Jack Clement and John Hartford plus the traditional song The House Carpenter and the

1920s tune Singin’ The Blues (best known from the Bix Beiderbecke recording with known composers and not trad as stated
on the credits). The originals and covers blend wonderfully and the accomplished remote contributions are from top musicians, including Allison Russell, Fats Kaplin and Tm O’Brien.

Deep Roots Magazine

In one of the more remarkable outbursts of roots music creativity, Steve Dawson’s captivating Eyes Closed Dreaming is the third album he’s released in a year’s time, following Gone, Long Gone and Phantom Threshold. Apart from superb musicianship and stellar songwriting, the three albums have in common the fact of being pandemic products all. That is, its parts were recorded remotely by artists in Nashville, Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles and produced by Dawson, a Canadian now residing in Nashville. To say the finished works are seamless productions says something about advanced studio technology and even more about producer Dawson’s mastery of same; it says much about the raw materials Dawson had at hand to assemble into a cohesive artistic statement, because a listener would be hard pressed to pinpoint this as anything other than a live-in-the-studio effort, so connected are the assembled artists to the vision Dawson projects in five original songs and seven varied covers (including a note-perfect, amiable vocal-and-Weissenborn guitar album ending performance of John Hartford’s “Let Him Go On Mama,” one of the late, great Hartford’s amiable, timeless portraits of a resolute riverboat captain luxuriating in the good old times—and old ways–in unapologetic fashion as he observes the times a-changin’ around him).

A gentle grace defines the album, even when things heat up a bit. You don’t tackle a Bobby Charles tune sotto voce, so Dawson backs his swaggering, bluesy vocal on “Small Town Talk”—an earnest plea to a paramour for greater communication and connection—with baritone and tenor saxes, trumpet, Kevin McKendree’s organ and piano, some stinging electric guitar punctuations (courtesy Dawson) and sumptuous multi-tracked backing vocals. He reimagines “Guess Things Happen That Way,” the Johnny Cash Sun classic penned by Jack Clement, as something along the lines of a blues stomp, leading the way with his own expressive slide guitar soloing buttressed by Chris Gestrin’s rich organ and a pronounced percussive foundation laid down by Jay Bellerose and Gary Craig, all supporting a rather humorous, easygoing Dawson vocal expressing weary acceptance of his fate in contrast to the aggrieved stance Cash took in his reading.

Dawson’s own songs, all co-written with Matt Patershuk (save for Dawson’s sprightly instrumental, “Waikiki Stonewall Rag,” appropriately rendered with Island flare thanks to Dawson’s guitar arsenal of Weissenborn, National Steel and ukulele rolling out as Gary Craig on drums/percussion and Jeremy Holmes on upright bass establish the pulsating rhythmic base and Gastrin adds additional personality on organ) are more introspective with arrangements to match their contemplative ruminations. “Polaroid,” an ode to a beautiful face forever “trapped in celluloid,” finds Dawson’s plainspoken vocal supported by silky backing vocals courtesy Casey Dawson and Allison Russell, and an evocative, rather swampy ambience conjured by Dawson’s Weissenborn and pedal steel and Gastrin’s atmospheric Mellotron and pump organ. In a measured pace the lyrics express the simple joy emanating from now-primitive technology–“there’s something about the way they look/blurred around the edges and in the middle too/and when you pick it up, hold it gently if at all…”—that’s not translating to the new way: “Took some pictures the other day/but they ain’t the same/a little too sharp and they’ve been cropped to fit the frame/too bright to be a memory, not made in real time/so I keep this Polaroid of mine/and I like to think about the way they were made…a real live piece of you trapped in celluloid…Polaroid…”  “Atmospheric” too is the relevant descriptive for “The Owl,” a low-key celebration of a night’s magic “when an owl sings, it’s the strangest thing/she softly hums and sings,” as Dawson supports his tender vocal with evocative 12-string and lap steel guitars and, once again, seductive vocal backup from Casey Dawson and Allison Russell. Yet, quiet surrounds these performances, drawing the attention deeper into the stories being told, where the real treasures await.

Thus a few of the many ways Eyes Closed Dreaming engages a listener’s attention and heart. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have mandolinist extraordinaire Fats Kaplin burnishing the album opening cover of Ian Tyson’s “Long Time to Get Old” or Tim O’Brien stepping up with a dashing mandolin solo of his own to enhance the old world flavor of “House Carpenter,” a cover of a traditional tune given new life in 1969 by Pentangle on its Basket of Light album (in an arrangement in part by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn honored in Dawson’s interpretation). These Dawson triumphs may seem routine at this point, but his and his mates’ commitment and expressiveness is too deeply felt to be routine. This is inspired, full stop.

Fabrications HQ (UK)

Nashville based Canadian singer-songwriter Steve Dawson (the Juno award winner is also a producer, sideman, label owner and podcast host) has started 2023 the way he musically entertained/ explored in 2022 with Eyes Closed, Dreaming.

The album is also Dawson's third album in a year, primarily because he had lockdown time to write a large collection of songs during that pandemic restrictive period.
The results were enough material for three albums that collectively make for an enjoyable triple Dawson dovetailing, each with its own identity.
 
First album of the three, Gone, Long Gone, featured nine songs mostly co-written with Alberta songwriter Matt Patershuk; that highly successful team-up led to Steve Dawson’s most all-encompassing release to date – a delicious mix of roots, folk & blues with influences from Nashville to Hawaii.

Phantom Threshold, released five months later, was a wholly instrumental album that featured Steve Dawson’s delightful and deeply immersive pedal steel surrounded by a multitude of keyboards (from moog and mellotron to Wurlitzer and pump organ) that added further sonic textures.

And so to Eyes Closed, Dreaming, released one year after Gone, Long Gone.
Much like that album the third instalment of Steve Dawson’s "pandemic trilogy" is a rootsy and folky affair but with lighter, melodic warmth and a sometimes (as title-reflected) dreamier stylisation; it features four originals co-written with Matt Patershuk and a selection of choice cover interpretations.

Nor does it hurt that Dawson has once again called in the support of friends who happen to be some of the best North American roots musicians around.
Joining the studio/ house band of Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass) and keys players Chris Gestrin & Kevin McKendree are Fats Kaplin & Tim O’Brien (mandolin & strings), Ben Plotnik (viola/ violin), Kaitlyn Raitz (cello), a horn section, drummer Jay Bellerose (five tracks), singer Allison Russell (three tracks) and additional vocals from Keri Latimer & Steve Dawson’s daughter, Casey Dawson.

Opener, the Ian & Sylvia / Great Speckled Bird number 'Long Time to Get Old,' featuring Allison Russell on harmony & backing vocals, has a lovely Nashville inspired country charm about it but it’s simply the appetiser to lighter delicacies.

All four Dawson-Patershuk compositions stand tall as storytelling fulcrum points of the album, from acoustic led roots-country number 'The Gift' and the string accompanied 'Hemingway' to the slightly ethereal acoustic folk-blues of 'The Owl' and memory reflective ballad 'Polaroid,' which title fittingly creates poignant imagery through its lyrics ("I like to think about the way that they were made, light reflected from your face onto this very page, like some real life piece of you trapped in celluloid… Polaroid").

Each of the other covers also make their mark however, from traditional olde folk ballad 'House Carpenter' and a soulful, horns accompanied take of Bobby Charles' 'Small Town Talk' to Cowboy Jack Clement’s 'I Guess Things Happen That Way' (made famous by Johnny Cash) and a delightful solo piece (Steve Dawson and Weissenborn guitar) in the finger picking shape of John Hartford’s 'Let Him Go On Mama.'

As befits the best Steve Dawson albums, there are also a couple of instrumentals – new piece 'Waikiki Stonewall Rag' (think Django Reinhardt in a Hawaiian shirt) and a wonderful jazz cornet to guitar transposition of the Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra & Bix Beiderbecke version of 'Singin’ The Blues.'

That this is yet another beautifully crafted release from Steve Dawson (one of his best to date) makes it all the more third-album-in-a-year noteworthy – but that’s not really a surprise, given the quality of Dawson’s catalogue and the esteem and regard with which the multi-talented musician is held in roots music and its broader-scoped, Dawson-ised setting.

My Northern Skies (UK)

Eyes Closed, Dreaming is the third installment of Steve Dawson’s ‘pandemic trilogy’, three albums released within a year of one another, and once again packed with quality songs.  The Nashville-based Canadian musician surrounds himself with quality collaborators, notably Allison Russell (Birds of Chicago, Po’Girl) and the legendary Nashville musicians Fats Kaplin and Tim O’Brien, both on mandolin.  “Long Time to Get Old” is reminiscent of any of those classic Ry Cooder songs from the early 1970s, with its assured slide guitar playing, its soulful duetting courtesy of Ali Russell and with a punchy Little Feat rhythm to boot.  The collaborations continue with four co-writes with old pal Matt Patershuk, “A Gift”, “The Owl”, “Hemingway” and “Polaroid”, each immediately rising to the status of album highlights and fighting for the top spot.  Traditional material is also treated with respect as Dawson turns in an atmospheric “House Carpenter”, keeping to the true tenets of balladry, with a steady tension building performance.  Throughout the album the bottleneck guitars, mandolins and fiddles lift each song to place of beauty, while the voices effortlessly hit every mark.  “Small Town Talk” is treated with the same sort of feel as the Bobby Charles original, with those upstate New York curtains still twitching as they were in 1972, whilst a laid back “Singing the Blues” instrumental captures a band of musicians simply enjoying the moment.  Eyes Closed, Dreaming is essential listening, even for those with but a marginal interest in Roots and Americana.

Three Chords and The Truth (UK)

Nashville-based Canadian Steve Dawson serves up a real heady mixture of American roots music in his latest record that caps an extremely busy period of committing his bubbling projects to commercial status. Hot on the heels of a brace of 2022 releases, Dawson steps onto a higher plateau with a new album spinning the plates of many ideas, influences and ports of call. Drawing on exceptional talent from within and probably more perceptively from a wide contact resource bank, we are served an eleven-track mix that possesses many coats without diluting standards. EYES CLOSED DREAMING is an album to ferment over time and become a valued reference point. 

Co-written originals mingle with choice covers wedged in between a couple of instrumentals to keep the album in perpetual motion. There is a level of intellectual grandeur when delving into the work of Steve Dawson. Not only do the songs and tunes measure up well, but you get the extra gift of learning more about where he draws his influence. From his perch of songwriter, musician, vocalist, producer and arranger, Dawson explores many facets of country, blues, folk and old time then spins them into a pivotal space of contemporary work.

All four original songs are co-written with Matt Patershuk, who has recorded several albums on Dawson's Black Hen Music label. The launching pad for this record. The first of these titled 'A Gift' unravels as an intriguing story song in the folk tradition with a sprinkling of twang in its midst. 'Hemingway' follows and a self explanatory title containing dialogue with a fiction icon likely to be the subject of further art for eternity. Dawson and Patershuk moved into the feathered kingdom with their next subject delivering 'The Owl' as one of the album's quieter moments, albeit a break into slide towards the end, with the lyrics being the focal point. The final selection from this pile is 'Polaroid'. Retro is both name and theme. 

The pair of instrumental are split between a Dawson composition and an interpretation of a traditional tune. The former, 'Waikki Stonewall Rag" mixes multiple strings, keys and percussion in a rhythmic stroll. The same quartet headed by Dawson proceed a little more lazily in 'Singing the Blues'. Both core sounds implying past roots influences. 

Before we turn to the four covers, a brief mention of the blues interpretation to the traditional number 'House Carpenter'. A track awash with fine picking and solid vocals adding to a credible version.

The album kicks off with a version of fellow Canadian Ian Tyson's 'Long Time to Get Old'. A good choice to win listeners over from the start with a breezy catchy song. Detected backing vocals didn't take long to trace back to Allison Russell, a long term co-worker with Dawson going back to the Birds of Chicago days. The largest accumulation of musicians appear on the Bobby Charles song 'Small Town  Talk' with brass featuring for the first time and most prominently. The Jack Clement-penned Johnny Cash-famed piece 'Guess Things Happen That Way' excels when the album is fully ingrained into the listening experience and keeps things rolling along. Dawson's Weissenborn lap slide guitar features throughout the album and is the sole accomplice with its owner's voice on John Hartford's 'Let Him Go On Mama' to close things.

There are so many facets to EYES CLOSED DREAMING that each play takes you down a different route. Steve Dawson has one of the keenest ears in the business and expertly transmits this into records that secure a legacy both of his sources and increasingly himself. 

Bluestown Music (Netherlands)

For Nashville-based Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Steve Dawson the 2020 lockdown turned out to be such a prolific period that he decided to record and release a trilogy: part one was a fine album ‘Gone Long Gone‘, released last year to rave reviews, and part two was the fully instrumental and psychedelic ‘Phantom Threshold‘ which has gone rather unnoticed (at least by me).

As with the first instalment many contributions to  ‘Eyes Closed, Dreaming’ were delivered long-distance from all over continent, but the eleven tracks, as varied as they are,  surely add up to a warm and coherent whole. He wrote four songs together with his friend Matt Patershuk and the other songs that he picked, fit seamlessly.

The opening track is Ian Tyson’s Long Time To Get Old and it makes clear straightaway that the standard is set immensely high for this album. There is an amazing acoustic slide and Fats Kaplan excels on mandolin.  Background vocals are contributed by Allison Russell, with whom Steve cooperated in Birds Of Chicago.

On the original A Gift Steve Dawson displays his exceptional qualities on the acoustic guitar and pedal steel. The mellow, acoustic Hemingway features beautiful violin and cello, with harmony vocals by daughter Casey; it is in many respects a true sequel to the title track of ‘Gone Long Gone’.

The traditional House Carpenter was made famous by Pentangle and it shows exquisite interplay between Steve Dawson’s Weissenborn and Tim O Brien’s mandolin. The original The Owl features a dazzling lap steel. The Bobby Charles composition Small Town Talk gets a soulful rendition with a New Orleans twist, featuring Kevin McKendree’s keyboards and an enthusiastic horns section.

After the undisputed prize number Polaroid Steve displays his unequalled skills on the Weissenborn and the ukelele on The instrumental Waikiki Stonewall Rag. Another well-chosen cover is Jack Clement’s Guess Things Happen That Way (0f Johnny Cash fame); it leads up to the stunning closing track, John Hartford’s Let Him Go Mama, which features just Steve’s vocals and Weissenborn; It is a great way to conclude a great album.

After a three-decade career, Steve Dawson has surpassed himself with this five-star album.

Fervor Coulee - Roots Music Opinion

Multi-instrumentalist Steve Dawson’s third release within a year, Eyes Closed, Dreaming may just be the strongest album of the British Columbia-Nashville artist’s lengthy career, and I don’t say that lightly.

While the majority of Dawson’s many albums have seen him feature original compositions more frequently than covers, this time out Dawson swings the other way, exploring the folk tradition in a manner he hasn’t really done before, as far as I’m aware.

Yes, both Waiting for the Lights to Come Up (2008) and We Belong to the Gold Coast (2005) featured numerous songs from the trad. arr. tradition as well as the pens of others. But this time out the focus appears to be on deliberately melding modern folk roots (through songs co-written by Alberta’s Matt Patershuk) with observations from previous generations of folk wanderers.

Perhaps a continuation of Gong, Long Gone (2022), Eyes Closed, Dreaming is every bit as strong as that memorable album, and may surpass it for no other reason that there are more familiar songs included. Folk music, almost by definition, must look back to the path on which it has traveled while providing a contemporary context for that music, whether that is by refreshing sounds of the past or by providing new material to continue the journey. Dawson and his collaborators—all familiar from recent Dawson sets—are more than successful in this endeavour across these eleven numbers.

For the originals, Patershuk and Dawson appear to have set themselves the challenge of writing within the manner of Guy Clark. I am confident they have found inspiration in the works of the master to create songs like “The Owl.” “Hemmingway” (featuring a small string section of Ben Plotnick and Kaitlyn Raitz) and “A Gift.”

Further, it is impossible to encounter “Polaroid” without thinking of Clark’s “My Favourite Picture of You”—both examine love through the transitory pictures of the instant camera of long ago, capturing affection and regard shaded with confusion and challenge: like the image, relationships are seldom ideal. Similarly, “Hemmingway” and“A Gift” tells ‘just enough’ without over-explaining the significance of each lyrical choice; let the mystery be, as they say.

“The Owl” is another rare gift, a song that seems hundreds of years old while being completely new. The richness of the lyrical visions within these four songs is quite amazing; few listeners will resist the pull of these rich vignettes, each providing sufficient space for interpretation without a sense of narrative dissatisfaction.

Dawson’s voice is strong throughout. I’ve likely never given him his due as a vocalist, but listening to the four originals that provide Eyes Closed, Dreaming’s sturdy spine one is impressed to a degree not previously acknowledged.

Dawson has also dusted off the old records to remind us of the beauty and, in some cases, glorious simplicity, of John Hartford (“Let Him Go On Mama”—oh my gosh) and Bobby Charles (an exquisite reading of “Small Town Talk,” featuring a horn section.)

The album opens with Ian Tyson’s “Long Time to Get Old” (from the Great Speckled Bird album), an incredibly deft song that has been lost in the flood for too long. Going back centuries, we have a resophonic-rich rendition of “House Carpenter,” a song that has never made satisfactory narrative sense to me, and for the first time I’m not overly concerned. Tim O’Brien lays out some lovely mandolin while Keri Latimer harmonizes in just the right places to provide the song with additional aural depth.

Dawson’s Birds of Chicago compatriot Allison Russell appears on three songs, each a singular highlight within a collection without lag. Singing with Casey Dawson on “Poloroid” and “The Owl,” Russell is, as expected, impressive, but it is her vocal work within “Long Time To Get Old” that is absolutely gorgeous, elevating the song and recording.

If anyone deserves the modern String Wizard title, it is Dawson. Each of these songs contains something—a flurry of lap steel (“The Owl,”) a touch of slide (“Guess Things Happen That Way,”) deft picking (“A Gift,”) a taste of ukulele (“Waikiki Stonewall Rag”)—to further attract the listener to become more attentive to the proceedings. Along with familiar sidemen—Gary Craig and Jay Bellerose (drums and percussion), Jeremy Holmes (URB), and Chris Gestrin (piano, organ, and Moog)— as well as Fats Kaplin (“Long Time to Get Old”) and others, Steve Dawson has again surpassed all expectations for modern roots music.

This year’s Polaris Music Prize is going to be a fierce competition, as it always seems to be. This year, my ballot will include Ron Sexsmith’s The Vivian Line, Julian Taylor’s The Reservoir, Tami Neilson’s Kingmaker, and Harrison Kennedy’s Thanks for Tomorrow. I had a place reserved for Phantom Threshold, but it has been supplanted by Eyes Closed, Dreaming. Now I just need to settle on the weighting of each of these fabulous releases.

I’ve been listening to Eyes Closed, Dreaming for more than a month, and during each visit I discover something fresh to appreciate. For me, that is one of the marks of a great album. Listen closely for additional indicators of greatness. You’ll hear them.

Maximum Volume Magazine

Canadian born, but Nashville based, Steve Dawson’s work has always been the best of both these worlds. His latest one “Eyes Closed, Dreaming” Recorded under lockdown conditions with artists contributing their parts from various corners of Nashville, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver. Given that, it sounds remarkably cohesive – and there’s some wonderful moments here. “Long Time To Get Hold”, its jaunty opener has some wonderful vocals from Allison Russell, the dry as dust Americana “Hemmingway” (written with Matt Patershuk) is a fine example of his ability to craft a story, while the darker “The Owl” sees his daughter Casey Dawson add some beautiful harmony. Some of the best musicians roots music has to offer are on this, and on work like “Guess Things Happen That Way” their skill shines incredibly.

Any Steve Dawson release is one to cherish and this one is no different.

Rating 9/10

Anti Music Reviews

Dawson is a Canadian living in Nashville, known for his guitar playing prowess and he opens Eyes Closed, Dreaming with a cover of "Long Time to Get Old," a cut written by fellow Canuck, the late Ian Tyson. The soulful mid-tempo song features Dawson playing sweet slide guitar and harmonizing with guest singer Allison Russell. Dawson switches to nylon string guitar for the lead instrument on the self-penned (with pal Matt Patershuk) "A Gift;" mid song he plays a haunting pedal steel solo. Other covers included are a nice take on Bobby Charles' "Small Town Talk" (covered decades ago by Rick Danko), the Cowboy Jack Clement chestnut "Guess Things Happen That Way," famously covered by Johnny Cash, and album closer "Let Him Go on Mama," a wordy vocal with delicate picking that was written by John Hartford. About half the album is original Dawson or Dawson/Patershuk material though, including highlights "The Owl," an eerie cut again with Russell on additional vocals, "Waikiki Stonewall Rag," an instrumental where Dawson tears it up on his favored Weissenborn guitar as well as National guitar and ukulele, and the melancholy "Polaroid."

Lonesome Highway (Ireland)

This release completes a hat-trick of albums, referred to as the “pandemic trilogy” by Steve Dawson and all released within the last twelve months. Gone, Long Gone appeared in March last year and it created the blueprint for what has turned out to be a thrilling and productive time in Dawson’s career. Phantom Thread followed in August last and was an instrumental album with eleven songs of timeless quality played by a select group of players that just merged seamlessly into a cohesive whole. The quality of playing across the three albums has been of the highest level and the featured musicians compliment Dawson so perfectly in the beautiful playing.

Alberta songwriter Matt Patershuk has worked with Dawson over past years and five albums appeared as a result of their collaboration. The duo have developed a song-writing partnership over the course of this album trilogy and four of the tracks featured here are a strong example of success achieved in their shared talents.

Dawson also covers songs from Ian Tyson (Long Time To Get Old), Bobby Charles (Small Town Talk), Cowboy Jack Clement (Guess Things Happen That Way), and John Hartford (Let Him Go Mama). There are two interpretations of traditional songs, House Carpenter and Singin’ the Blues, both of which highlight the scope of inventive playing by the trusted musicians that Steve has called upon from past projects. Regular studio stalwarts Gary Craig and Jeremy Holmes provide the always inventive rhythm section with Chris Gestrin contributing on all manner of keyboards. They are augmented on various tracks by the drumming and percussive skills of Jay Bellerose (five tracks), with Fats Kaplin and Tim O’Brien guesting on mandolin. Vocals are ably handled by Dawson himself and Alison Russell guests on three songs, as does Dawson’s daughter Casey. Kevin McKendree adds organ and piano on one track and Keri Latimer appears as guest vocalist on two songs. The horn section of Jerry Cook (baritone sax), Dominic Conway (tenor sax) and Malcolm Aiken (trumpet) make a great impression on Small Town Talk and also returning are the excellent Ben Plotnick (violin, viola) and Kaitlyn Raitz (cello) on the standout Hemmingway.

Mentioning all these players is important in the context that four separate locations were used in bringing the overall sound together. Various recordings were captured in Los Angeles, Nashville, Toronto and Vancouver on a remote basis and it is a huge tribute to Dawson that he makes the disparate parts blend so easily together. The production is vibrant and filled with great moments where you just want to hit the repeat button and experience the brilliance one more time. There are two instrumental tracks, Waikiki Stonewall Rag and Singin’ the Blues, both of which perfectly illustrate the immense talent of Dawson across a range of guitars, proving beyond all doubt that he is indeed the king of the strings, no matter what form they may take! A vital record and one that breaks through all the confines of musical constraints.