Henki

For the Dutch racing driver, see Henkie Waldschmidt.

Henki
Studio album by Richard Dawson and Circle
Released	26 November 2021 (2021-11-26)
Length	55:52
Label	Weird World
Richard Dawson chronology
2020 (2019) Henki (2021) The Ruby Cord (2022)
Circle chronology
Terminal (2017) Henki (2021)

Henki is a 2021 collaborative album by the English singer-songwriter Richard Dawson and the Finnish experimental rock group Circle. The album has seven songs that are all related to the life of plants and trees. The title, according to Circle's Jussi Lehtisalo, is a Finnish word meaning "spirit" or "ghost". The collaboration between Dawson and Circle started with the exchange of demos, and then they met in Pori, a city on Finland's West Coast where Circle are based. The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 lockdown meant the album had to be finished remotely.^[1]

Meaning

"Methuselah" tells the story of Donald Rusk Currey's cutting down of Prometheus, the world's oldest tree.^[2] "Lily" tells of a hospital nurse in Newcastle who witnesses paranormal events after the death of patients, including the appearance of a room full of flowers.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10[3]
Metacritic	87/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Evening Standard	[6]
The Guardian	[2]
Irish Times	[7]
Pitchfork	7.5/10[1]
Uncut	[8]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Henki received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 from 9 critic scores.^[4]

Critics thought well of the album. Louis Pattison, writing for Pitchfork, gave the album 7.5 out of 10, and said, "In a catalog already noted for strangeness, Henki might be Richard Dawson's strangest album to date. But his ideas are fertilized by these songs' peculiar twists and turns; the more Dawson and Circle lean into their eccentricities, the more their music resonates. Whatever Dawson writes about, he's really writing about people—the ways we choose to live our lives, and the strange and awful things that befall us along the way. Henki blows up these themes into widescreen, unfolding across continents, centuries, and even the afterlife."^[1] Phil Mongredien, writing for The Guardian, highlighted "Silene" and "Methuselah": "A sprawling epic written from the perspective of a seed and a lament for an ancient tree are highlights on this inspired collaboration".^[2]

Year-end lists

Henki on year-end lists

Publication	#	Ref.
The Needle Drop	7	[9]
The Quietus	7	[10]
Uncut	10	[11]
The Wire	35	[12]

Track listing

1. "Cooksonia" – 6:30
2. "Ivy" – 8:57
3. "Silphium" – 12:07
4. "Silene" – 7:16
5. "Methuselah" – 8:26
6. "Lily" – 5:56
7. "Pitcher" – 6:36

References

1. Pattison, Louis (26 November 2021). "Albums: Henki, Richard Dawson/Circle". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
2. Mongredian, Phil (28 November 2021). "Richard Dawson and Circle: Henki review – a botanical rock classic". Retrieved 20 June 2022.
3. "Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
4. "Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
5. Monger, James Christopher. "Henki Circle / Richard Dawson". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
6. Smyth, David (25 November 2021). "Richard Dawson & Circle - Henki review: A bizarrely entertaining new sound world". Evening Standard. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
7. Kane, Siobhan (26 November 2021). "Richard Dawson & Circle: Henki review – Seeds of greatness". Irish Times. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
8. Pinnock, Tom (26 November 2021). "Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki". Uncut. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
9. Fantano, Anthony (December 23, 2021). Top 50 Albums of 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
10. Worthington, Daryl (December 6, 2021). "Quietus Albums of the Year 2021". The Quietus. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
11. "Uncut's Best New Albums of 2021". Uncut. December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
12. "The Wire's Releases of the Year 2022". The Wire. December 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.