The curiosity surrounding Richard Dawson’s new album starts even before you hit play. With a title like ‘End Of The Middle’, the experienced Geordie folk artist opens the door to various interpretations of his music without requiring a single guitar chord or his distinctive voice.
In a time marked by political turmoil, the title might easily suggest the decline of centrism as a political ideal. Globally, the political landscape is increasingly dominated by those on the edges, particularly the far-right, who continue to be the loudest voices and monopolize a news cycle struggling to contain their widespread, harmful rhetoric.
Alternatively, this could reflect our perceptions of aging, a subject that resonates in today’s culture, as films like The Substance highlight both individual and societal responses to this inherent human experience. Focusing on Dawson’s personal situation – nearing his mid-40s, hailing from northern England, and having a career steeped in socially conscious music – offers a third, intriguing interpretation: class.
The concept of a class system isn't exclusive to the UK, yet our specific way of associating people’s value with their financial status seems uniquely entrenched and complex, making it challenging to define and even more difficult to untangle in the name of progress.
Interpreting it this way, ‘End Of The Middle’ becomes an exploration of the fading, accepted notion of a British middle class. As those with inherited wealth begin to label themselves as working class simply because they hold a part-time job with minimal stakes, one could argue that this concept has already become obsolete.
Dawson appears to disagree, as he spends 45 minutes and nine tracks weaving a tapestry of the relative comfort and monotony that accompanies envy toward those who are richer or those who are worse off. In less skillful hands, such themes might lead to a bitter album, but Dawson proves to be a shrewder artist.
Instead, he presents this reality as it is, infusing his songs with humor that elicits a wry chuckle and an endearing familiarity that renders the experience quite aspirational, even as the characters portrayed grapple with their circumstances.
Drawing inspiration from Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu, who focused his entire film career on how generational family tensions mirror broader societal debates on tradition and change, Dawson lets listeners form their own opinions about those caught in this comfortable limbo. It’s an impressively nuanced character study that, through its straightforward and composed perspective, delves into these discussions in a way that a more judgmental or overtly sympathetic observer might struggle to achieve.
An album notable for its patience and empathy, ‘End Of The Middle’ refrains from becoming outright commentary. Instead, it presents its scenes, inviting you in and giving you space to ponder the subtle irony of finding such comfort burdensome, while prompting you to reflect on the destinies of those who might view such a life as a hopeful reprieve from poverty. Truly, an album for our times.
8/10
Words: Michael Watkins
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The fascination with Richard Dawson's new album starts even before you hit play. With a name like 'End Of The Middle', the experienced Geordie