The Ruby Cord

by Richard Dawson

The Ruby Cord cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 18 November 2022
  • Label: Domino Recording Company, Weird World
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 1:20:49
  • Community rating: 4.21/5 from 13 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'The Ruby Cord' concludes Richard Dawson's thematic trilogy with a set of epic narratives set in a futuristic, liminal world where reality and virtuality blur, famously opening with the 41-minute track, "The Hermit". The album's avant-garde folk sound combines Dawson's intricate and raw acoustic guitar work with his distinctively emotive, often-strained vocals, while synthesizers, harp, and strings add atmospheric depth to the sprawling compositions. This production creates a soundscape that feels both ancient and digitally glitched, reflecting the album's lyrical exploration of a collapsed, sci-fi society.

Genres

Descriptors: folk, british, acoustic, storytelling, progressive, avant-garde, experimental, long-form, conceptual

Tracklist

  1. The Hermit (41:00)
  2. Thicker Than Water (05:35)
  3. The Fool (05:46)
  4. Museum (08:06)
  5. The Tip of an Arrow (10:06)
  6. No-one (02:22)
  7. Horse and Rider (07:54)

Credits

  • Richard Dawson - vocals [voice], guitar, bass, synthesizer, sounds [bits and bobs], written-by, producer
  • Anna Girvan - chorus
  • Cath Tyler - chorus
  • Claire Welford - chorus
  • Dawn Bothwell - chorus
  • Kate Craddock - chorus
  • Nev Clay - chorus
  • Phil Tyler - chorus
  • Rhodri Davies - chorus, harp [pedal harp]
  • Sally Pilkington - chorus
  • Vic Eynon - chorus
  • Andrew Cheetham - drums
  • Angharad Davies - violin
  • Jake Blanchard - artwork
  • Matthew Cooper (2) - design [additional design by]
  • Paul J Street - design [additional design by]
  • Christian Wright - mastered by
  • Sam Grant - other [studio], producer, recorded by, mixed by

More from Richard Dawson: full discography