DAVID GRAY
A New Day at Midnight
BMG
· David Gray received a Grammy nomination for "Best New Artist" in 2000, after the release of his fourth studio album.
David Gray has a wonderful voice, somewhere between the gravelly monotone of Bob Dylan and the sweet timbre of Elton John. But on his fifth album, A New Day at Midnight, it quickly becomes apparent that the Welsh singer-songwriter is singing next to his music, rather than becoming a part of it. Guest instruments, ranging from droning keyboards to a backwards synth, have given the album a hollow, Muzak feel.
Not until the production is pared down to a bare minimum and the superfluous accompaniments are removed does Gray’s voice truly find its natural habitat. A fleeting example of this can be found on the hauntingly beautiful "Last Boat to America." But it is the only example, and Gray’s fifth album doesn’t quite hit the mark.
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