Richard Dawson & Circle — Henki — Album Review
Progressive | Folk | Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
There was certainly a unique brand of charm that Newcastle musician Richard Dawson brings to the table. I got little essences of said charm through projects like his previous album, 2019’s 2020, and the 2018 release by his band Hen Ogledd, titled Mogic.
This was especially the case with the aforementioned 2020. And with singles like “The King’s Head”, I was easily able to sense Dawson’s knack for great musical storytelling. His vocals are a little rough around the edges. However, it is exactly that which gives his music that grounded and almost regal brand of folk.
And while Dawson’s musical style lies predominantly in folk, he always finds a way to take his music one step further, into what is more progressive territory. That being said, his collaboration with Finnish experimental rock band Circle, it definitely raised a lot of intrigue from music lovers.
Having not listened to Circle either, I decided to put some of their own material on spin as I write this review. And as I listen to their previous work, I begin to realise just how much both Richard Dawson and Circle benefit one-another on their collaborative project, Henki.
While Dawson’s captivating lyrics keeps the attention of listeners, and helps to draw them in, Circles rock complexities add a whole other musical layer to what would otherwise be something that fits comfortably in to the rest of Dawson’s discography. As a result, Henki really does stand as that kind of album that stands as a truly artful piece. While we have had so many amazing albums this year, the majority have been commercially so. That being said, it was a great sigh of relief to see an experience like Henki break the mould.
With only seven tracks, but a total runtime of almost an hour, one might expect Henki to be that kind of album that’s packed with overblown ballads. After all, even the shortest song still clocks in at just under 6 minutes, while the very longest goes over the 12 minute mark. But despite all this, Dawson and Circle keep almost all of these tracks unique enough to keep my interest, with the use of phases, and of course Richard’s lyricisms.
In terms of narrative, Henki can best be described as a collection of short stories, which cover a wide array of topics. These include various tales from Greek mythology, themes of plant life, and even a story of his mother seeing ghosts as a junior nurse.
And while these different narrative themes seem at odds with each-other, only somebody like Richard Dawson would’ve been able to pull each of them off on the same album, and turn each of them into insanely intriguing experiences with the instrumental help of Circle.
Speaking of which, it is Circle’s use of phasing that really helps keep this album as an immersive experience that always keeps the listener wondering what’s around the corner, and give them a reason to listen over and over. The best use of this would be on a track like “Silphium”, which happens to be the album’s longest track that I previously mentioned. By familiarising listeners with an initial melody, Circle then decide to introduce an experimental jazz break, complete with a plethora of different musical elements. The second that said instrumental break gets a bit more tiresome, they then re-introduce the melody we were familiar with before. It is just one example of both artist’s many strokes of genius that absolutely coat this masterful album.
Henki really does stand as an incredible example of the standard of music that 2021 has brought. Not only that, but it is an incredibly memorable experience unlike any other.
Favourite Tracks: Ivy | Silphium | Methuselah | Lily
Least Favourite Track: Silene
Domino Recording Company Ltd
Enjoyment: 9/10 | Memorability: 10/10 | Atmosphere: 9/10
Uniqueness: 10/10 | Satisfaction: 9/10 | Narrative: 8/10
