You know that feeling. When 2025 is almost spent, and the first snow hasn’t decided whether it’s worth covering the ground yet. You instinctively reach for warmth, seeking it in things that seemingly should be associated with something completely different. That’s why I’m here today, with this sound. Lullabies (Richard Lam) and his “Quarter Till.” Perhaps the title itself—”A Quarter To”—speaks of time slipping away, the final quarter of the year, or maybe some fateful, decisive hour.
At the heart of it all is the guitar, inherited by Richard Lam, and that sense of legacy is woven into every chord. The warm, gentle chords immediately set the atmosphere, but there is fire hidden within them. The musician uses various techniques that go beyond simple playing. Despite the slow rhythm, these sounds feel hot, as if soaked in testosterone, confidence, and inner calm. It is this combination—of slowness and hot, masculine strength—that creates the clear feeling that you are listening to something from a classic Western film.
And then there are the drums and percussion—they are more like the ticking of an old clock, beating time with its pendulum. The entire minimalist rhythm section exists solely to emphasize the guitar. It’s a subtle reminder: time is relentless. The improvisation, balanced on the edge of familiar motifs, keeps the track alive; it never feels dull, because you find yourself listening intently to every single chord.
This track, for me, is like a hot mulled wine (glühwein). It offers a hope you want to savor as the hands strike the end of yet another era. The realization that warmth, calm, and those close to you are the only true currency when there is only a “Quarter Till” left until the new world.
P.S. This sense of composed confidence strongly echoes Sam Ojalvo track “Do The Thing,” which was aptly described as “music for a soft, confident motion.”
