Peasant is Dawson’s most direct, nuanced, and haunting creation yet, a frayed tapestry of a community in peril, where each is left to their own struggles, their own prejudices, their own inflictions of cruelty from a universe that seems designed to rot us from within.
Peasant is a pretty staggering departure from the massed ranks of 2017’s batch of albums. It is a restorative, headstrong burst of inspiration from an artist with the courage to execute his vision without compromise. If ever an album deserved to rise above the fray, it is this one.
If Richard Dawson is Fairport Unconventional, Peasant is his Liege & Lief, a strange but fascinating journey through the frameworks of British folk music as seen by one truly unique set of eyes.
My eyelids are closed. A delicate thread of soothing brass wraps my eardrums tenderly, bringing to my foggy consciousness the promise of a peaceful awakening. I can not stretch my limbs, I will break the charm of this sweet music.
I frown. A trumpet stumbled, dragging the entire orchestra. The flow of sweetness has changed into a strangled gurgling. I feel like the victim of a morning joke, I open my eyes. Around me, my room has become a creepy forest, the comfortable material under my butt is ... read more
Genre: Avant-Folk
Does anyone else think Richard Dawson looks a bit like an older Elitimesfour?
Damn Richard, ok! You're really going to make one of the most unique folk albums ever made full of great midevil sounds, 70s throwbacks, and eclectic production? ...ok man good on you dude have fun with that!
Like the weird, freaky cousin of Joanne Newsome, Peasant stands as a testimony to how art evolves. Where even a genre that seems to have potential reached the peak of experments like folk ... read more
Original Score: 73
Spending more time with Peasant over the last year or so has given me a whole new appreciation of it. I'm kind of embarrassed at how little I originally paid attention to the lyrics on this thing, as they're basically the saving grace for the often-ugly and charmingly miserable instrumentation. Where most fantasy art (books, albums, movies, anything really) deals with the most special characters in a fantastical world, Richard Dawson's lyricism is extremely interesting in ... read more
Getting around to Richard Dawson’s Peasant made for a fantastic Sunday morning. Rustic rawness that falls in line with the yelping of an old soul. Talk about an album that knows it’s atmosphere and nails it on every level.
#1 | / | The Quietus |
#2 | / | The Wire |
#3 | / | Loud and Quiet |
#3 | / | Spectrum Culture |
#5 | / | Fopp |
#6 | / | Uncut |
#9 | / | Crack Magazine |
#10 | / | Gigwise |
#10 | / | Norman Records |
#10 | / | The Guardian |