Fabrications HQ

Nashville based, Juno Award-winning musician, singer-songwriter, producer, sideman, label owner and podcast host Steve Dawson (in short, an all round roots-based talent) is making up for lost solo recording time in 2022.

First of all the noted, Nashville based musician’s new solo album Gone, Long Gone is his first collection of song’s since Solid States and Loose Ends six years ago (Dawson, who has also dipped in to Hawaiian music, jazz and blues, also released the delightful and at times delicate acoustic instrumental album Lucky Hand in 2018).

Secondly, it’s the first of three new albums, each with its own identity, that will see the light of musical day over this next year, such is the large volume of songs he wrote over the pandemic and lockdown periods.

Featuring nine originals (mostly co-written with Alberta songwriter Matt Patershuk; the first time Steve Dawson has collaborated with another artist - as it turns out an excellent partnership) and one cover (a lovely, rootsy-blues take of The Faces 'Ooh La La'), Gone, Long Gone is one Dawson’s best releases to date and certainly his most all-encompassing.

Nor does it hurt that Dawson can call upon some of the best roots based talent around, here in the studio band shape of bassist Jeremy Holmes, drummers Gary Craig & Jay Bellerose (both of whom play on the eerie car-crash blues of '6 Skeletons in a Car'), Kevin McKendree & Chris Gestrin (piano, keys) and a number of contributing guest musicians.

Opening with the slow roots ‘n‘ roll of the horn-backed 'Dimes,' featuring Canadian singer Allison Russell on harmony and backing vocals (as do a handful of other tracks) Gone, Long Gone makes its entrance in fine and fairly funky style.

'Dimes' is followed by the contrasting yet perfectly dovetailing (and wonderfully titled) 'King Benny Had His Shit Together') a slide and piano based roots blues nod to larger-than-life Hawaiian street musician King Bennie Nawahi. The song also benefits from the presence John Prine alumnus Fats Kaplin on fiddle.

'Bad Omen,' much as its title suggests, has a little bad luck voodoo about it ("there’s a bad omen scratchin’ at the door, and I just let it in") augmented by some swirling ‘n’ bubbly organ touches.

The acoustic guitar, strings and pedal steel backed title track is a dreamy, turnpike watching Nashville styled highlight of the album, as is another Nashville hewed number, the up-tempo and foot-tapping 'I Just Get Lost.'

The Hawaiian styled instrumental 'Kulaniapia Waltz' offers further delightful contrast while another instrumental, the solo acoustic 'Cicada Sanctuary,' highlights Steve Dawson’s deftness of finger-picking touch.

Lyrically reflective closing number 'Time Has Made a Fool Out Of Me,' where Steve Dawson’s vocal and echoey guitar lines are complemented only by band textures on the final bars and Allison Russell’s backing and outro vocal, is another highlight.
It’s a lovely, if bittersweet, ending to a finely crafted collection of songs.

Right, when’s the next album due?

- Ross Muir