When the festive holidays come ‘round and the days count down till Christmas, most guys are at a loss for what to give their best girl. Many will spend hours perusing the shelves of shops, looking for just that right little bauble or that perfect piece of jewelry that will set her eyes afire on that glorious morning. Others still will find themselves battling it out on Christmas Eve, fighting over the last Chia Pet and sweeping cheap perfume into their baskets in a frantic, last-minute rush.
While there are many of us that can identify with those tales, Dawson Cowals is a guy who takes it to a whole ‘nother level. In December of 2009, Cowals set out to write a song as a first anniversary present for his wife, Jessica. Cowals snagged the assistance of “producer/musician extraordinaire, Nick Garrett-Powell,” and hammered out the track in literally one day in order to have the gift ready for his beloved on Christmas morning.
Two years have passed and “since that time live drums, harmonies, and other tracks have been added” but the heartbeat of the track is still the same. “Stop the Sun” is a track influenced by both of the artist’s loves, the Scriptures and his wife, and that shines through each and every lyric. Cowals draws inspiration from Joshua 10:9-14 (a passage where biblical hero, Joshua, implores God with passion to stop the sun and stay the day and God acquiesces, bringing a great victory) and infuses his track with allusions to the story. Yet, he neatly interweaves the thought of being able to stop time in order that he could “hold you forever.”
Sonically, the song builds from a gentle coffeehouse singer/songwriter vibe and then bursts forth with solid bolts of electricity, building into a full-on pop-rock ballad. The acoustic serves as a bridge throughout but Garrett-Powell’s influences on electric guitar and bass fuel much of the action here, bringing the passion to a pleasantly fevered pitch. The artist’s vocals are strong and distinct yet very approachable. And it’s that vocal delivery that keeps his music in his wheelhouse, together with some nice harmonies again provided by Garrett-Powell. Cowals’ publicity materials describe the track as a mix of Lifehouse’s “You and Me” colliding with a Howie Day song and that’s just about right.
With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching and the season of love upon us, one could draw some solid inspiration from the romantically spiritual leanings of singer-songwriter, Dawson Cowals. With the track set to debut on the upcoming full-length album, The White Album, soon, the work of Dawson Cowals might be just the thing to set that romantic mood this year.
Review by Andrew Greenhalgh
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)
