Stories Don't End
by Dawes
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Apr 9, 2013
    90
    It’s the sound of a young band coming into their own unique musical niche and making the record they’ve been reaching for since they first hit the scene in 2009.
  2. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Aug 19, 2013
    80
    Honest, soulful, happy-sad, warm and welcoming.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Apr 15, 2013
    80
    [A] quietly gripping, deceptively gleaming record.
  5. Consequence
    Apr 11, 2013
    80
    Building on the alluring guitar solos and gorgeous harmonies that anchored Dawes’ debut album a half decade ago, Taylor Goldsmith & Co. deliver plucky vocals, wry cultural jabs, and inventive time signature shifts to craft a record that is distinctively modern.
  6. Uncut
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    Dawes come into their own as an articulate, self-assured SoCal rock band. [May 2013, p.69]
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  7. Boston Globe
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    The stories may have familiar contours (love affairs, self-reflection, observation) but the details pack the joy of surprise.
  8. American Songwriter
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    Stories Don’t End is still a step forward, if only for the moments of off-the-cuff brilliance that result from all the ambitious effort.
  9. Austin Chronicle
    Apr 9, 2013
    78
    Goldsmith's melodies continue to be instantly familiar, and Dawes remains one of the premier country rock bands of the day.
  10. Paste Magazine
    Apr 9, 2013
    72
    Stories Don’t End is crisper and more overdubbed, sprawling a tad where the first two albums flowed seamlessly.
  11. The Line of Best Fit
    Aug 19, 2013
    70
    A new Dawes album will succeed for one primary reason: Taylor Goldsmith’s ability to connect with a new batch of stories. To that end, Stories Don’t End is another success.
  12. AllMusic
    Apr 9, 2013
    70
    Stories Don't End barely registers upon the first spin (it's easy pop for the millennial generation), but if given the time to percolate, it produces a damn fine cup of coffee.
  13. Filter
    Apr 11, 2013
    68
    The result confirms there are few bands that can mix past and progress like these fellas.
  14. New Musical Express (NME)
    Aug 12, 2013
    60
    Stories Don’t End is smoother than a drive down to Malibu with the Eagles chilling in the back seat.
  15. The Independent (UK)
    Aug 9, 2013
    60
    After a while the regretful, melancholy tone wearies one's sympathies.
  16. Magnet
    Apr 16, 2013
    60
    The album's numerous ballads meander at times, but Stories Don't End is an overall solid effort. [No. 97, p.54]
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  17. PopMatters
    Apr 11, 2013
    60
    Yes, you have to love Dawes for doing it the old fashioned way, trends and hipster cred be damned. But, sonically at least, it may be time to put a few bumps in the road.
  18. Mojo
    Aug 13, 2013
    40
    A move to their own label sees them lose the plot entirely, sliding into the stodgy AOR navel gazing of From A Window Seat and listless choogling. [Sep 2013, p.90]
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. BKM
    Apr 10, 2013
    7
    The third album from the Los Angeles based roots rock revisionists doesn't feature as many instantly catchy tunes as 2011's Nothing is Wrong.The third album from the Los Angeles based roots rock revisionists doesn't feature as many instantly catchy tunes as 2011's Nothing is Wrong. However, Stories Don't End is as comforting and reassuring as a warm pacific breeze and, if nothing else, finds the band very assured of their songwriting and their overall artistic direction.… Full Review »
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