Here are the first set of album reviews. The rest will be coming shortly along with other news. Enjoy!
David Gray Life In Slow Motion
David Gray Life In Slow Motion
Sadly overproduced, David Gray's latest still manages to compensate with incredibly well-written songs.
It must be known that David Gray is easily one of the best singer/songwriters to come out of the 90's. While US fans are most familiar with him from the outstanding 2000 release White Ladder, many don't realize that he indeed had a couple of very notable releases prior to that album in Sell, Sell, Sell and A Century Ends. After White Ladder, Gray faced heightened expectations and released A New Day at Midnight to a mixed response. There were moments of the same sheer brilliance as featured on Gray's previous albums, but in the end it fell short. Feeling as if he might've hit his creative peak, I hadn't bothered in his latest album, which was released in 2005, until recently. What caused the change was that once I dug a little deeper than the overly-glossy single of "The One I Love" I realized that the same insightful Gray was still there. Unfortunately, the slick nature of a number of his songs cloud what would otherwise be a readily apparent sign of Gray's strength in songwriting. Also gone are his intricate drum and bass lines, replaced by either softer guitar or orchestral tones, this is a different sound yet not at all alienating. The evolution of David Gray's sound is clear from the opening track of "Alibi," which begins almost atmospheric before evolving into an all out anthem. By far the best track on the album is the simple yet beautiful "Lately" which highlights Gray's talent with the song's sparse instrumentals that swirl around his vocals. Other noteworthy songs are "Slow Motion," the bittersweet "Hospital Food," "Now and Always," and the great closer "Disappearing World." When everything clicks, Gray puts on some of his best work to date, however there are moments where the amount of slick overproduction reaches a point of superficiality, and for an emotional writer like David Gray, it really can detract from his music. While more of a cd for true David Gray fans, I would recommend the selected titles above for those who, if nothing else, would like a bit more exposure to the artist.
Overall Rating: 84
Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers
Continuing the trend of prominent 90's singer/songwriters, Beth Orton has established herself as being one of the more prominent female singer/songwriters, while in the process becoming overshadowed by such artists as Fiona Apple and Sarah McLachlan. On this album, Orton's focus extends from start to finish, with absolutely no filler whatsoever (something that's evident given that the longest track clocks in at 4:30, and most tracks are around the three minute mark). Each of her songs posses such an earthy, organic quality that her music almost seems like an effortless extension of herself. "Worms" is a perfect opener for the album, and tracks such as "Heartlandtruckstop," "Rectify," and "Conceived" are such great slice-of-life stories that, when combined with Orton's charming and breathy vocals, make for a very intriguing and worthwhile album. It may come off as being too simplistic for it's own good, but with a talent that's as generally diverse as Orton in terms of her sound, the idea of her honing in on a specific focus truly showcases her abilities. An album that's best enjoyed when played straight through beginning to end, Comfort of Strangers, is an incredible album.
Overall Rating: 98
It must be known that David Gray is easily one of the best singer/songwriters to come out of the 90's. While US fans are most familiar with him from the outstanding 2000 release White Ladder, many don't realize that he indeed had a couple of very notable releases prior to that album in Sell, Sell, Sell and A Century Ends. After White Ladder, Gray faced heightened expectations and released A New Day at Midnight to a mixed response. There were moments of the same sheer brilliance as featured on Gray's previous albums, but in the end it fell short. Feeling as if he might've hit his creative peak, I hadn't bothered in his latest album, which was released in 2005, until recently. What caused the change was that once I dug a little deeper than the overly-glossy single of "The One I Love" I realized that the same insightful Gray was still there. Unfortunately, the slick nature of a number of his songs cloud what would otherwise be a readily apparent sign of Gray's strength in songwriting. Also gone are his intricate drum and bass lines, replaced by either softer guitar or orchestral tones, this is a different sound yet not at all alienating. The evolution of David Gray's sound is clear from the opening track of "Alibi," which begins almost atmospheric before evolving into an all out anthem. By far the best track on the album is the simple yet beautiful "Lately" which highlights Gray's talent with the song's sparse instrumentals that swirl around his vocals. Other noteworthy songs are "Slow Motion," the bittersweet "Hospital Food," "Now and Always," and the great closer "Disappearing World." When everything clicks, Gray puts on some of his best work to date, however there are moments where the amount of slick overproduction reaches a point of superficiality, and for an emotional writer like David Gray, it really can detract from his music. While more of a cd for true David Gray fans, I would recommend the selected titles above for those who, if nothing else, would like a bit more exposure to the artist.
Overall Rating: 84
Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers
Simply put, this is Beth Orton's best album ever
Continuing the trend of prominent 90's singer/songwriters, Beth Orton has established herself as being one of the more prominent female singer/songwriters, while in the process becoming overshadowed by such artists as Fiona Apple and Sarah McLachlan. On this album, Orton's focus extends from start to finish, with absolutely no filler whatsoever (something that's evident given that the longest track clocks in at 4:30, and most tracks are around the three minute mark). Each of her songs posses such an earthy, organic quality that her music almost seems like an effortless extension of herself. "Worms" is a perfect opener for the album, and tracks such as "Heartlandtruckstop," "Rectify," and "Conceived" are such great slice-of-life stories that, when combined with Orton's charming and breathy vocals, make for a very intriguing and worthwhile album. It may come off as being too simplistic for it's own good, but with a talent that's as generally diverse as Orton in terms of her sound, the idea of her honing in on a specific focus truly showcases her abilities. An album that's best enjoyed when played straight through beginning to end, Comfort of Strangers, is an incredible album.
Overall Rating: 98
2 comments:
Hey dude - on break in the crummy weather midwest. Got tix to the Palloza! Got David Gray - disappointed - too slow for me - just slow. On the money with Jarhead - Foxx was compelling. Talk to you soon -
AG
Checked out Beth O. at the Vic last nite in the Windy City - like the cd better than her in person. She starts strong but her music has way too much of a folksy undertone for me. Has a huge following tho and I understand she was away from the music scene for a while and came back with a different sound. Don't know what her old one was like - maybe she should try to ncorporate the 2?
Red Robyn
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