David Gray – Life in slow motion

This is the latest album release from the Manchester-born David Gray. His album White Ladder was the biggest selling non-compilation album of all time in Ireland, beating U2, The Corrs & Van Morrison. It had a very intimate feel to it, with minimum production work. Life in Slow Motion, his newest album, sees Gray introducing the first outside producer – the same guy who produced Madonna’s Ray of Light and the musical director for Moulin Rouge. This result in an album packed with production wizardry and a sequential loss in intimacy which David Gray’s albums have become known for. In some cases the orchestral majesty works to the album’s benefit like in the opening track “Alibi”. Overall the songs are layered, polished and occasionally breathtakingly powerful although it takes time for the lyrics to catch on. “Lately” is a gorgeous slow-burner that would almost sound at home on a Van Morrison record from the early Seventies while “The One I Love” vaguely reminds of a country track. Maybe not the David Gray we are use to, but still one of the top album releases of the year.