- Manchester's Thomas Ragsdale doffs a many-feathered cap. There's his TV and film work, mentioned in Tony Naylor's recent soundtrack and scoring piece. So far, both of his film scores have been released on This Is It Forever, Ragsdale and Gavin Miller's label that's also home to their Ghosting Season and Worriedaboutsatan projects. The pair always keep a cinematic undercurrent in their work, and Ragsdale's exclusively dance floor alias, Winter Son, put strong moods and soundtrack dynamics squarely in the mix.
Dear Araucaria is Ragsdale's third record under his given name and first to have no corresponding visual piece—not that it needs it. It's a self-governed project that began in 2013 with the passing of The Guardian's crossword-maker, Reverend John Graham. Essentially, it's an EP of variations: five tracks reiterating the same treated guitar and piano material with subtle, painterly nuances. In the gentle flux of repetitions, an idea of memory unfolds. It's a sad and poignant one, like a sense of loss and yearning for what's no longer there.
The record is beautiful and powerful in its simplicity. How Ragsdale builds an emotional response out of so few resources is truly masterful. The "less is more" concept proves especially fruitful, accomplishing so much over such a short span. Dear Araucaria is a huge, gaseous swell of a record that deserves to be played over and over again.
Tracklist01. Flower Of Yorkshire
02. Sunset
03. Newland's Valley
04. Reflection
05. Time To Go