Hollow Meadows

Hollow Meadows represents a significant pivot in Richard Hawley's discography, moving away from the expansive, reverb-drenched 'Big Sky' sound of Standing at the Sky's Edge toward a more intimate, folk-oriented aesthetic. Recorded primarily at his home studio in Sheffield, the album's title refers to a local hamlet, grounding the work in a specific sense of place and domesticity. The recording context was heavily influenced by Hawley's physical health at the time, leading to a more sedentary, acoustic-focused songwriting process. The album features contributions from local peers like Jarvis Cocker and slowcore veterans, yet it remains singularly focused on Hawley's voice. Critics noted the album's 'unplugged' feel and praised its emotional maturity, often citing it as one of his most personal and least affected works. It serves as a bridge between his early crooner persona and a more weathered, elder-statesman folk identity.