David Gray - Life In Slow Motion

If you’re in the mood for a good cry, David Gray’s latest release, Life in Slow Motion is a fitting sob soundtrack. That’s not to say it isn’t good. It’s just appropriately titled – this record is very long winded and mildly depressing. Gray goes for broke with the piano ballads on this one. He even weaves in some strings and horns here and there. And at times, he pulls it off nicely. The opening track, “Alibi,” starts with Gray crooning over a somber piano. He adds more instruments and vocal tracks piece by piece, and after about three minutes, the whole thing explodes. By the end of the song, he’s got an entire orchestra behind him. As impressive as the more heavily produced songs on the album are, Gray is at his best when he’s stripped down to the core. The strongest cut here, “Hospital Food,” features a simple upbeat melody driven by Gray’s acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. “Lately” is another track where he is able to communicate more clearly because there aren’t a million things going on at once. It is clear that Gray is a clever songwriter – though it is probably more obvious to him than anyone else. It appears he’s trying too hard on this record to prove just how far he can stretch himself. And even though some of his most embellished songs here hold up fairly well, his leanest tracks prove he is far better off when he sticks to the basics. [www.davidgray.com]