★★★★★
On 2009?s Draw the Line, David Gray found and captured what he called a "fire in his belly," producing a collection of songs that showed the British singer-songwriter at a level of musical freedom he hadn't previously explored. Reviews were mixed, and the album felt sporadic, with several high moments and catchy tunes, but ultimately lacking the cohesion that creates a great album...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
Part, if not all, of David Gray's appeal comes from his sadness. Rarely was there a moment of happiness on his blockbuster smash, 2001's White Ladder. Even when the tone was cheery or the lyrics suggested pleasantry, he kept a firm grip on his macabre nature with slower tempos, minor piano or guitar chords, and a voice so honest that it would be impossible to not focus more on the cynicism peering through each of his words over the fact that he was singing the word "Babylon" a little funky...
- www.popmatters.com
2011-01-20
★★★★★
As we all know, there's many reasons to despise David Gray. Look around at the current plethora of supposed heart-on-the-sleeve banality that manifests itself in the form of the James Blunts and Damien Rices of this world and it's easy to identify Gray as their harbinger. The fact that his 'White Ladder' album is the second biggest selling album of the decade only seems to confirm this nation's taste for solid, unremarkable songwriting with a hint of cod passion remains a banker...
- www.gigwise.com
2010-11-30
★★★★★
David Gray's career has been full of highs and lows, which must be a hard thing to deal with. He most likely never saw the success of "Babylon" coming, especially since it was on his fourth album and he had been existing in relative obscurity until then. But the critical backlash that followed must have been equally puzzling, as his music didn't change that much...
- www.exclaim.ca
2010-11-29
★★★★★
A tenacious Brit with a significant penchant for unfancy, cathartic folk-pop, David Gray - after a good decade at it - finally busted through with what came to be one of '99's most ubiquitous tunes, the easy and expansive Babylon. As a result, this record, his fifth, gets sophomore standing by biz measures, and with sophomore standing comes sophomore expectation. A lesser record? Compared to what...
- www.hour.ca
2010-11-09
★★★★★
It was with mixed feelings that I delved into archetypal troubadour David Gray's 7th studio album. On the one hand, the songs from his world conquering 'White Ladder' album have sound-tracked more risible romantic comedies than I have the time or patience to mention and the man hasn't exactly been known as a mould-breaker...
- hangout.altsounds.com
2010-11-02
★★★★★
Summary: Too soon. 1 of 1 thought this review was well written All David Gray does is confuse me and for an artist with such a straightforward style that's pretty difficult. But it's not a good thing, because the reason David Gray confuses me is that David Gray sounds confused. Five years passed between Life In Slow Motion and last year's Draw The Line and now just a year later we've got a new collection of songs from the Manchester-born singer-songwriter...
- www.sputnikmusic.com
2010-10-18
★★★★★
Part, if not all, of David Gray's appeal comes from his sadness. Rarely was there a moment of happiness on his blockbuster smash, 2001's White Ladder. Even when the tone was cheery or the lyrics suggested pleasantry, he kept a firm grip on his macabre nature with slower tempos, minor piano or guitar chords, and a voice so honest that it would be impossible to not focus more on the cynicism peering through each of his words over the fact that he was singing the word "Babylon" a little funky...
- www.popmatters.com
2010-09-18
★★★★★
The majority of the songs on David Gray's Foundling were written during the same sessions that resulted in last year's Draw the Line. So it's hardly a surprise that Foundling sounds as much like a collection of B-sides and outtakes as it does a proper album...
- www.slantmagazine.com
2010-08-25