2020

 

2020 

Released by English singer and songwriter Richard Dawson in 2019, 2020 serves as a prediction for what 2020 is going to look like. He places great emphasis on the dystopia of the modern world. The last few albums I’ve reviewed were a bit sad so listening to something so uniquely bizarre was a more than welcome experience. From the premise of the album alone, I knew that 2020 was going to be something special. 

As far as first impressions go, I can best describe this album as aggressively British. The lyrics make it blatantly obvious with the most quintessential references to British culture. Many of these tracks feature him monologuing about his daily life, detailing his observations in song form. Even in its most mundane messaging, Dawson manages to tell a compelling story in each of these songs. The first track, Civil Servant is a ballad about not wanting to work. I found lyrics like Shoveling crisps in my face to be goofy but they added to the overall charm of the song. He’s subjected to the mundanity of day-to-day life, stuck in a routine that he despises. The synths and vocal effects make The Queens Head feel more cinematic. Here Dawson describes the personal impact that a town being flooded had on the people that live there. It had more of a folk sound to the track that made it stand out. Two Halves is very catchy, almost uplifting despite the more negative lyrics about disappointment and failure. The melodic work is playful with unusual key changes that kept me coming back to the song. 

Jogging The weight that anxiety can have. He is so truthful about his experiences, it’s really refreshing to hear this kind of perspective from someone. He doesn’t seem to leave anything out, the grittiness of living in the UK is perfectly captured. The characterization present in many of these tracks is a touch I really liked, he gives the subject of each song so much dimension to the point the listener can understand how he feels. The guitar work that opens Black Triangle is damn catchy. He articulates himself in a fragile fashion, bearing every waking insecurity. Dawson makes it astonishingly easy to empathize with him. His sense of humor shines through but doesn’t diminish his message.

 Coming in at about ten minutes, Fulfillment Centre is the longest song off the album. The lyrics offer a glance into his soul as he expresses, There must be more to life than killing yourself to stay alive. This was genuinely a jarring tonal shift that I wasn’t expecting. This track also features a switch to electric guitar. I really admire how unexpected a lot of his musical choices were, it kept me on my toes for whatever insane lyric he decided to drop next. The closing track, Dead Dog in an Alleyway was a really good send off for the album. It covers the post-Brexit society and the hardship that the homeless endure. This is probably my favorite track just for its outstanding chorus and guitar work. 

I genuinely had so much fun reviewing and listening to this album. This experience really showed the merits of opening your mind up to various genres of music you don’t listen to as much. I really recommend asking your friends what music resonates with them. I’ve found that you get to know a person even better and can potentially find music you enjoy that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. This was the case with 2020. On the surface level it seems to lack overall depth, however, listening to it more and more I was able to truly appreciate the lyrical artistry Dawson presents in his music. It’s easy to brush it off as ridiculous but there are a lot of qualities of this album that are very human. Thematically, Dawson illustrated more dystopian themes and the impact that late stage capitalism had on the modern world. He has such an interesting sound that I would like to go back and listen to more of his work.