Peasant

On 'Peasant', Richard Dawson presents a concept album of character-driven vignettes set in the early medieval English kingdom of Bryneich, using its historical setting to explore universal themes of struggle and community. The album's avant-garde folk sound is built upon his raw, expressive vocals and intricate, often aggressive, acoustic guitar work, expanded here with a fuller band that incorporates choral vocals, strings, brass, and jarring bursts of noise. This dense sonic tapestry, which ranges from delicate, melodic passages to abrasive, atonal textures, creates an immersive and challenging work that balances its ambitious, era-spanning narrative with a visceral and immediate musicality.