John Dawson goes with the flow on his new single and video Life Just Came To Me — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
There are times in this existence where you’re not sure what direction to go or where to turn — but looking back, you realize what happened was just the way life or fate planned it. That notion is captured perfectly in this gentle, toe-tapping single from Newmarket, Ont., musician Dawson and his album Outlier.
“If the album Outlier tells any kind of story, then Life Just Came To Me is its opening chapter,” Dawson says of the single. “Beginning from the awareness of life as it was and not as it is, this song sets the table for the ensuing study of change, loss, and hope that follows in each of the songs. The piece is intentional in its simplicity. Almost as if it is coming from a moment of quiet reflection on a front porch (thank you Mr. Sexsmith for that image).”
Dawson, of course, is speaking of acclaimed singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith. Sexsmith, who has had his music praised and covered by Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and others, also lauds the single. “John Dawson’s song Life Just Came To Me has a lovely front-porch picking style with lyrics that are simple yet philosophical and openhearted,” Sexsmith says.
Indeed, Dawson offers some fine fretwork while bassist Manny DeGrandis provides a steadying presence. It’s a beautifully minimalist approach that shines thanks to Dawson’s words and music. “Life Just Came To Me is intended to provide a musical starting point from which Outlier proceeds as it explores the navigation of change that each of us will invariably face in life,” Dawson says. “With each song moving and shifting between subtleties of musical moods and lyrical themes, they can all be seen in juxtaposition to this joyful, if not slightly somber opening movement. Life Just Came To Me is an invitation to move further into the story: If that is how it was, what happened, and how did it all work out?”
The nine-track Outlier, produced by Adam Brunner, features Dawson with drummer and percussionist Anthony D’Angela and DeGrandis. Highlights of this consistently credible offering include the pristine Things I Meant To Say, the simple but stunning Mend In My Ways and the jazzy, roots instrumental Merry And Pippin, which shows another side of Dawson’s musical depth. He credits Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Paul Simon and Mark Knopfler for helping him craft and shape his musical approach.
Check out Life Just Came To Me above, listen to the rest of Outlier below, and find John Dawson on his website and Twitter.
