Really Early, Really Late

For over 30 years Richard Adams has been quietly documenting his own particular corner of the English countryside both with Hood, the post-rock band he formed with his brother in 1991, and since 2007 with The Declining Winter. Recorded over a five year period and inspired by rustic English alternatives such as Talk Talk and Robert Wyatt, The Declining Winter’s latest work Really Early, Really Late is a collection of beautiful songs, immersed in a richer sonic spectrum incorporating strings, horns and lush electronic textures, alongside Adams’ own unique guitar tones and characteristic dubby bass.

Though it retains the homespun scratchiness of previous The Declining Winter records, Really Early, Really Late is also their most ornate. A remotely collaborative effort, the record is scattered with decorative embellishments from violinist 11 Sarah Kemp (Brave Timbers), cellist Peter Hollo (Tangents), and guitarist Ben Holton (epic45), among many others. Adams’ distorted whisper of a voice has never been more exposed leading to a brutally emotive and intensely personal song-suite, both raw and beautiful in equal measure. The storybook curiosity of Mark Hollis’ work is a particular influence. Like Hollis, this music is imbued with magical realism: beholden to nature, it hints at the mysteries lurking in mundane local landscapes and the more remote Yorkshire moors and valleys. A record to hold close to your heart, Really Early, Really Late sees Adams and his collaborators emerge from the shadows with their most complete work to date. 

RIYL: Talk Talk, Rachel’s, Sam Prekop, Hood, Red House Painters, Bark Psychosis, The Notwist.