What Are You Listening To?

[Ruby]

Mutineers – David Gray (Indie rock/folk/singer songwriter – best I can do!)



Recording history:

Ten studio albums, one live album and three compilations of which I have White Ladder (1998), The EPs 1992–1994 (2001 compilation), Life in Slow Motion (1995) & Mutineers (2014)

Personnel for this release:

David Gray - Vocals, pianos, guitars, keyboards, harp, harmonica, Juno synthesizer
Robbie Malone - Bass, acoustic, electric and nylon string guitars, e-bow, high strung guitar
Keith Prior - Drums, percussion
Caroline Dale - Cello
Andy Barlow - Programming



David Gray has outdone himself with his latest release. The more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it, and the more it reveals its lovely little touches; it’s a slow process, which is sooo much better for the savouring. He retains all of his unique, deceptively bucolic charm and continues to march happily along to the beat of his very own drum, but he HAS subtly honed and refined his sound to a very much higher level of sophistication. That doesn’t necessarily mean becoming weighted with pretentious complexity, which it’s not; rather, the poetry becomes clearer and the sounds he’s created (voice and instruments) marry beautifully with the lyrical content. In ‘Birds of the High Artic’, for example, you can hear them keening way up in that icy sky and sense the emptiness of a brittle, hollow landscape. The album is understated though never boring, and even ‘Cake and Eat It’ which seemed a bit manically repetitive to me at first, makes, in every way, a lot of sense.

I very much like the inclusion of the cello on this one – it lends warmth. The cd packaging too reflects the greater mood with photographs depicting desolate, abandoned objects bathed in warmly glowing landscapes. In the liner notes, Gray acknowledges two other writers/authors as inspiration, confirming the overall impression that he has the ability to sonically transform words! To me, the single ‘Back in the World’ sets the scene, telling us of vulnerability and a letting go – he’s allowing himself to be exposed both emotionally and musically, peeling back the layers - open to come what may, and at ease with whatever the result.

(Caution: you may find these songs sneaking surreptitiously into your subconscious and resurfacing at – ummm three in the morning!)

1. Back in the World ***** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBS6UgiYTr4
   
2. As the Crow Flies *** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/As+The+Crow+Flies/6VeGdx
   
3. Mutineers ***** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Mutineers/6VeGj0
   
4. Beautiful Agony *** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfIq6HMYuvw
   
5. Last Summer ***** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeRS_6S-OTw
   
6. Snow in Vegas **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xZoub2kAY
   
7. Cake and Eat It **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo74BnqDwo4
   
8. Birds of the High Arctic ***** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Birds+Of+The...tic/6VeH5j (this is not done justice in the live recordings that are available)
   
9. The Incredible **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhdvYIqGAl0
   
10. Girl Like You *** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Girl+Like+You/6VeHrv
    
11. Gulls **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF-xx8mMWIo
    

Score - 4/5
Allmusic - 4/5

[video=youtube;Bo74BnqDwo4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo74BnqDwo4[/video]