David Gray was previously known as classic Radio 2 fodder, a harmless singer-songwriter with vaguely catchy melodies and a nice line in occasionally memorable lyrical couplets. He is of course best known for a song about a sci-fi series, and enjoyed his best period of success a good few years ago. He is now in his 40s and wears only beige clothes.
But what’s this? Draw The Line is David Gray 2.0 – all grooving psychedelic funk and acid house jam sessions, Radiohead-like repeated drum loops and yelped vocals, creating a feeling of utter ecstasy as he pushes the boundaries of music to the extreme, with one of the finest records ever made.
Did I have you going for a while there? Surprise surprise, it sounds the same as every David Gray record. Sweeping strings complement carefully plucked guitar and plodding piano and Gray’s monotonous, tuneless, meaningless warbling. It’s such a lack of progression I was halfway through his previous album before I even realised Draw The Line had finished.
If you listen to this by choice, you should have your ears taken away. You don’t deserve them.
clembo
10 months ago
and so it follows that if we read your “magazine” by choice we should have our eyes ripped out with hot pokers.
Thankyou
Chris Sheerin
10 months ago
James – apparantly this is now ‘your’ magazine. Scott has only been gone a few days :S
Sounds like a great album. I didn’t read anthing past: “But what’s this? Draw The Line is David Gray 2.0 – all grooving psychedelic funk and acid house jam sessions, Radiohead-like repeated drum loops and yelped vocals, creating a feeling of utter ecstasy as he pushes the boundaries of music to the extreme, with one of the finest records ever made.”
I’m sold!!!
Andrew
10 months ago
Wow, just wow. What an unnecessarily scathing attack on both DG and DG fans alike, why anyone should care what you have to say is beyond me.
Brian
10 months ago
If for no other reasons (and there are many more) than Gray has consistently written some of the most thought-provoking and original lyrics, and has used his voice in a multitude of ways reminiscent of Dylan, Gray will long outlive critics like Jamie Smith, whose writing is as generic as his surname. In fact, I predict Gray will stand over Smith’s grave to make sure that he’s dead.
Mark Grainger
10 months ago
First of all, comparing David Gray and his badly supported head to Bob Dylan? I think you may be getting your leagues confused, and the only though David Gray has inspired in my mind is “Jesus Christ I could do with going to bed”
Secondly whatever happened to being allowed to have a different opinion? Jamie was asked to review this album for the site and so listed why he personally didn’t like it and he was far less vitriolic or provocative than you’d find in other outlets, if anything this was constructive
Finally who the hell do you think you are? This is a site run by people who enjoy writing about music, ordinary people you don’t know and who you wouldn’t dare launch a personal attack like that on in person. Are you trawling all the bad reviews and leaving similar comments there?
I suggest you find a David Gray fanboy forum to vent on instead of spreading your hatefilled bollocks all over the wider internet
Rebecca Gray
8 months ago
I rather like it. It makes me feel good. That’s always nice.
Tony
7 months ago
I’m liking this album, would recomend, yes it’s mellow and plodding but it’s classic David Gray…it’s in my top 10 albums of 2009 Download it…
jamie smith
7 months ago
Tony – how many albums have you heard this year?