Gray stays true to his sound
By MIKE SCHMUHL
Scene Music Critic
David Gray is quite a popular name on college campuses and it isn't uncommon to hear one of his songs being played in a dorm room. However, things weren't always this way.
Gray has been writing and producing music for more than 10 years. In the early '90s, Gray released two small albums without much acclaim and parted ways with two records labels.
Just as things were spiraling downward, Gray decided to release his fourth album, White Ladder, on his own record label in 1999. The album achieved much commercial and critical success, and secured Gray as a powerful folk-rock artist. "Babylon" and "Please Forgive Me," his most well known songs, are a unique blend of electric beat mixing, acoustic guitar and Gray's poignant vocals.
With his latest release, A New Day At Midnight, Gray overcomes new struggles. He shows that his work is consistent and creates an album of the same caliber, if not better, than White Ladder.
The album gets off to a strong start with the songs "Dead in the Water," "Caroline" and "Long Distance Call." They each include Gray's signature acoustic arrangements and a rapid, pulsing beat. Gray's voice, perhaps his most gifted asset, rattles over the upbeat tempos, giving the songs a simplistic and humble tone. The chorus of "Caroline" is the catchiest on the album. "The final war/ A steel eyed dinosaur/ Girl I need you more/ Than I can say/ But Caroline/ It seems like every time/ Honey all I get is further away."
Ironically, the last three songs on the album, "Be Mine," "Easy Way to Cry" and "The Other Side," shift from the accelerated pace of the early few songs and are obviously slower, more reflective ballads. On these, Gray's voice and piano take center stage. On "Easy Way to Cry" he sings: "Faith gone from your eyes/ Each word it flies/ Straight to the heart and I know/ Watching you go/ There ain't no easy way to cry."
"Real Love" and "Freedom" combine lucid lyrical melodies and a heavy beat that progress into rather long instrumentals and layered effects.
From start to finish, it may seem as though all the songs on the album sound the same. Gray uses the same pattern to construct the skeleton of most of his songs and the common themes of love, despair and hope fill in the rest. His vocals and basic mixing techniques allow the listener distinguish differences between songs and draw from his of her own experience.
At a time when music is driven by sex appeal and pop culture, Gray remains devoted to his work. As he says on his website, "I've never had to follow up the success. The challenge is to reinvent your music, keep yourself interested, and keep yourself moving forward -- to keep it about the right stuff rather than be swamped by money and attention. It means you focus on what's important. Music is far more enjoyable than those things."
A New Day At Midnight could be titled "White Ladder 2" for its comparable sound and Gray's unchanging, solid vocals. All in all, David Gray's consistency and talent have created another enjoyable, laidback album.
Contact Mike Schmuhl at schmuhl.5@nd.edu
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, November 26, 2002
