David Gray - Life in Slow Motion (CD)

All Music Guide

Life in Slow Motion is an appropriate name for David Gray's sixth album. It's languid and deliberate not that this is a bad place for Gray to be, or that it's even a big change of pace for him. As the years passed, he's trimmed away the faster tempos from his music, leaving behind an evenkeeled, meditative, soft reflective folkpop that brought him a hit in 2000 with "Babylon" from his fourth album, White Ladder. Life in Slow Motion isn't too far removed from that album, although it does lack the thenfashionable vague electronica underpinnings. In their place is a mildly lush but not elaborate production that's tasteful and classy, and Gray's songwriting is well mannered and well intentioned. If Gray didn't have a slight rasp to his voice, this music would simply wash over you, since it's a calm, clean album ideal for either background music at work or latenight introspection. Thankfully, the bit of grit in his voice is enough to ground the music. Life in Slow Motion is especially lowk...ey and quiet compared to Gray's other albums, requiring close listening to catch the subtleties in either the lyrics or the music. That means it's a rewarding listen mainly for the faithful who have the time, patience, and inclination to dig into this. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less