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A fresh and modern collection of love & wedding songs with catchy melodies and a tight band backing them up. Think Knopfler and Nick Drake fronting the Dave Matthews Band.

This is the second collaboration between myself and producer/musician extraordinaire, Nick Garrett-Powell, and my 12th full-length recording. Taking a new bent and direction from my entirely acoustic previous release, Coffee Shop Songs, this new project explores some creative song stylings; offerings range from acoustic guitar and violin ballads to hard-rock funk, haunting choral vignettes all the way to French language hip-hop. Nick once again showcases his amazing harmonies and diverse arrangements, but really shines in his expressive electric guitar leads borrowing inspiration from the likes of Knopfler and Satriani. Joining msyelf and Nick on this project is the percussion prodigy, Nick James, who manages to capture the many intricate rhythmic and timing changes and really helps rock the project up several notches.

This CD is a special collection of love & wedding songs that I have written over the last 10 years for friends and performed at their weddings. The majority of the album includes recent love songs that I wrote for my own wife, especially “Cord of Three Strands” which I sang as a proposal in the Fall of 2008. The album starts off with an upbeat rock tune about how we met through an online dating service and features a humorous modem dial-up sequence as a solo break. The rock ballad, “Same Star”, continues to further the story of our relationship and give the title for the album through the lyric: “Now we go outside at night / Hand in hand we pass ‘neath the streetlights / So we can look up into the sky / Together look up at the same star.” The highlight on the album is the hip-hop track “Mon étoile filante” which I wrote entirely in French and sings of how my wife is “My shooting star, my jewel from heaven, my gift from God above.”

The album ends with a couple of bonus acoustic versions of some of the earlier songs to highlight my signature pinch-slap, percussive picking technique. The final track is a short reprise of the song “Starting” featuring just my vocals and Nick’s amazing harmonies. All in all this is a great modern collection of love songs that provides many new choices to replace some of the more antiquated tracks normally heard at most weddings.

Highly recommended for fans of Brandon Heath, Bebo Norman, Matt Nathanson, and Joshua Radin.

Buy Now!

Here are some quick links to various retailers where you can purchase either a downloadable MP3 copy of this album or in some cases a physical CD with lyric booklet.

Buy on iTunes Buy on Amazon Buy on CD Baby

Details

Dawson’s 11th CD showcases his singer-songwriter style by being exquisitely acoustic. Soaring harmonies weave around intricate melody lines brought to life by mandolin, violin & guitar with a little flute to boot.

On this release, Dawson decided to remain “drumless” to emphasize the importance of the stories told in the songs by keeping them mostly acoustic. Joined by virtuoso musician and producer/engineer for the project, Nick Garrett-Powell, Dawson brings together 17 new songs sure to please long-time fans and draw new listeners as well. Dawson plays all of the rhythm acoustic guitar on the album as well as singing the lead vocals and adding the occasional flute line. He is accompanied by Nick’s amazing mandolin work, classical guitar, slide, steel string, harmonica, brush snare, shaker and stunning harmonies. Nick and Dawson form the core of this musical tapestry and manage to make it sound like they’ve been playing together for 10 years instead of only a few months. Deborah Katz joins them on several tracks with the haunting beauty of her violin and viola work, and Missy Howell knocks the socks off the cliche that she has the voice of an angel. Brian Engle also wandered into the studio during the recording of “That’s What Friends Are For” and helped fill out the bass harmony for that track.

From the upbeat swing of “Without Love” to the light-hearted reminder to put aside our anger “Before The Sun Sets”, Dawson shares an intimate glimpse into his personal life over the past 7 years. These songs chronicle some very painful times such as the death of his father and the poignant song of sorrow and hope that clings to the promise: “When I Find Forever” I will find you. They also celebrate some happier moments such as the wedding song, “1000 Butterflies”, which he wrote and performed for friends, and the toe-tapping burden-lifting song that reminds us “That’s What Friends Are For”. Backed by Nick’s haunting classical chops, “Telephone Game” gives a harsh glimpse into how gossip can crack the image of our friends. From there he moves to an emotional, first-person account of Jesus in the garden asking the Father to “take me in their place”. Spaced throughout the album are a few worship choruses that are sure to get stuck in your head and find their way back to the tip of your tongue throughout the day such as “It’s By The Grace” and “I Will Tell”.

“Coffee Shop Song” emphasizes Dawson’s ability to paint a story with his songs, singing of a girl who walks into a coffee shop and hears the words of a song that have an impact on her life. For those who enjoy intricate rhythms, his modern take of the favorite hymn, “Be Thou My Vision”, jumps around from 5/4 to 6/8 time and includes a fresh chorus that ties the traditional words together in a new and meaningful way. Brought together, these 17 songs will take you on a journey of faith and character, from the depths of grief to the heights of hope and joy. And like the reprise, the album will leave you with the comforting truth that by the grace of God we can come boldly before the throne and seek mercy and help in our time of need.