North Hills (album)

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

North Hills
Studio album by Dawes
Released	August 18, 2009
Genre	Folk rock
Length	54:56
Label	ATO
Producer	Jonathan Wilson
Dawes chronology
North Hills (2009) Nothing Is Wrong (2011)

Reviews

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	93%[1]
Allmusic	[2]
The Austin Chronicle	[3]
Filter	82%[4]
The Line of Best Fit	[5]
PopMatters	6/10[6]
Stereo Subversion	B+[7]
This Is Fake DIY	7/10[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

All tracks are written by Taylor Goldsmith, except where noted.

Tracklist

No.	Title	Length
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

Dawes

• Taylor Goldsmith – lead vocals, guitars
• Griffin Goldsmith – drums, vocals, percussion
• Wylie Gelber – bass guitar
• Tay Strathairn – piano, vocals, organ
• Patrick Sansone - guitars, vocals, organ, percussion

Charts

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