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Generations of songwriters and musicians have been influenced by the sound of music that came out of Laurel Canyon in Southern California during the late ’60s and early ’70s. Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, the Eagles, Gram Parsons, David Crosby and numerous other legends helped make the sleepy L.A. hills a sonic template for soft introspective singer-songwriter excellence.

Dawes is a contemporary band from Los Angeles that is deeply indebted to that golden sound. The band’s 2016 release, “We’re All Gonna Die,” scuffs up the surface a little bit, with gritty textures at the outset, but it’s still a mellow folk-rock affair at heart. Singer Taylor Goldsmith sometimes brings to mind the soft-serve light pop of David Gates and Bread or of America. Dawes is at its best when it gives into the sweet sadness at the core of its songs. Listen to “Roll Tide,” a lovely song about distance and a romance that might be fading or maybe still stands a chance. The band knows how to concoct a we’re-gonna-party-until-sun-up theme, too, like the one that contains the refrain “When the tequila runs out/we’ll be drinking champagne.”

Dawes performs at Infinity Hall, 2 Front St., Hartford, Sunday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34 to $64. 866-666-6306 and infinityhall.com.