Exclaim! Magazine

For Steve Dawson, learning the pedal steel couldn’t have been more exciting. With this newfound instrument, Vancouver’s folk/blues guru churned out enough material for two albums, the first being Waiting For The Lights To Come Up. If there’s a key selling point for the record it’s the numerous catchy, toe-tapping melodies that streamline every song, making for a tight-knit collection of country twang and bluesy retrospection. "At Arms Length” will give you a little shiver as it travels from haunting riffs to jubilant chorus. "Walking Down The Line” features Dawson’s plucky finger-style alongside an anthem-like fervour, while marching drums keep the momentum flowing in a weary but hopeful direction. And then there’s "Hurricane”, which reaches out with its grungy, electronic-based beats and keyboards in a welcoming gesture, adding that little bit of experimental flair to a classic country number. From top to bottom, beginning to end, Steve Dawson’s Waiting For The Lights To Come Up is enough to keep us waiting for his next masterpiece, Telescope.