Review: David Gray – Draw The Line
David Gray, after a short break from releasing albums, has produced this,his eighth studio album named Draw The Line,recorded in his own studio, Church Studios, (previously owned and used by The Eurythmics) and at Abbey Road studios.
There are eleven tracks on this CD,all are quality and good listening, and the single from it is Fugitive, which could be autobiographical..David Gray has often struck me as being a fugitive in life, running from something and pouring his experiences into his songs.
Standout tracks for me on this album include Draw The Line,First Chance,Stella The Artist (particularly moving), Kathleen, a duet with US folk singer Jolie Holland,and the last track on the album, Full Steam Ahead, with legendary Annie Lennox, whose vocals pair
in an unlikely way with Mr Gray’s,but produce a powerful positive song, which almost sounds like a musical sigh of relief from both performers on this album.
David Gray has a new three piece band on this CD.His old friend and collaborator on drums,Clune, parted amicable company with Gray in 2007, two years after Gray’s last album, Life In Slow Motion, written during the period during and after Gray’s father’s death.
Neill McColl (guitars), Robbie Malone(bass) and Keith Pryor(drums) have replaced the old line- up and are tighter and more polished.
Gray has said that this album has ended “a period of professional and personal introspection” for him in his life.He had,in his own words “kicked the door down – and I was outside”, in this new offering.
However, I can’t help feeling that, although a beautiful album, Gray has not moved on all that much musically and lyrically from his previous seven CDs. That’s not to criticize, I think this album deserves much success, but its still the old Gray formula with orchestration and gospel choirs added.
