Richard Dawson’s ‘End of the Middle’ Explores Intimate Family Narratives

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England — Richard Dawson, known for his imaginative songwriting and eclectic musical style, releases his latest album, “End of the Middle,” on February 14, 2025. The album marks a departure from the grand concepts of his previous works, centering instead on the intimate and complex lives of a contemporary British family.

Dawson’s previous albums, such as 2017’s “Peasant” and 2022’s “The Ruby Chord,” transported listeners to abstract settings steeped in history and dystopia. In contrast, “End of the Middle” focuses on familiar family dynamics and recurring patterns of behavior that span generations. As Dawson delves into the experiences of an extended family, he captures the subtlety of everyday moments, reflecting the influence of Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu’s cinema.

The album opens with the track “Bolt,” presenting a seemingly mundane family scene disrupted by a fantastical event—a lightning strike symbolizes potential revelations within the household. Dawson describes the household setting: “Jen’s in her room watching Neighbours, while dad whistles in the bath, and mam reads yesterday’s paper on the sofa.” This blend of ordinary life and extraordinary occurrences sets the stage for the intimate explorations that follow.

Through his songs, Dawson inhabits various characters, including a grandmother reflecting on her life choices in “Gondola.” The track poignantly addresses unfulfilled dreams, with lyric lines like “Deal or No Deal / box number 17 is opened to reveal a wound that never healed.” Dawson’s emotional delivery, coupled with his distinctive vocal style, allows listeners to connect deeply with each character’s experiences.

In her review for Silent Radio, music critic Tom Bolton describes Dawson’s approach: “He is a master at creating and becoming characters. Each song finds him immersed in complex, yet instantly familiar stories, which he unwinds layer by layer.” The album captures moments of grief, regret, and the pursuit of redemption, showing the delicate threads of human connections.

The song “Polytunnel” illustrates the contrasting themes of routine and loss as the narrator finds solace in the simplicity of gardening tasks. Lines such as “It’s Karen who was always the green-fingered one / I don’t really know what I am doing” reveal layers of emotion tied to grief and remembrance, a common thread throughout the album.

The track “Bullies” explores themes of childhood trauma and its impact on future generations. Here, a father reflects on his own experiences while navigating his son’s suspension from school for fighting. Dawson’s ability to portray the cyclical nature of pain and healing resonates throughout this narrative.

Each song on “End of the Middle” is a self-contained exploration, infused with Dawson’s poetic insight. The longest track, “The Question,” unfolds as a ghost story with haunting imagery, while “Boxing Day Sales” critiques the excesses of consumerism in a distinctly captivating way.

The closing track, “More Than Real,” creates a powerful culmination of themes presented in the album. With the support of guest vocalist Sally Pilkington, the song juxtaposes moments of tenderness and loss, reflecting on the inherent challenges of familial connections. “I don’t know if he can hear us but I think he can,” Pilkington sings, embodying the emotional weight carried throughout the album.

As Dawson shifts his focus from larger-than-life concepts to grounded, everyday narratives in “End of the Middle,” he solidifies his standing as one of contemporary folk’s most innovative and empathetic voices. This album, while smaller in scale, achieves significant emotional depth, inviting listeners to reflect on the complexities of their own familial relationships.