Reviews (page 3 of 8)
David Gray. Another name to some lovely music. Very happy to re-discover this wonderful music. Interesting that at times I speak about albums with thoughts about finding gems in an otherwise fair to middling mix, or a one hit wonder, OR, in this case, a solid, even quite good base with some absolute corkers spread throughout. I had no idea that this music I have always loved is by some guy named David Gray, but now that I do -- Nice! I think the two things that make this album worth listening to are those forever wonderful hits and the rest of the album which may well hit on indiividual favorites without any doubt.
I liked this. very mellow. I liked the really subtle use of synth. This was a good choice to listen to at the office in the morning
Ganske banger egt
Nice chill album
Great voice but some of his songs were too slow and whimsical for my liking.
Really nice
I played this album a lot when it came out. Good songs, and in interesting cover to finish,
I wasn't all that keen on David Gray first time round in the 90s, finding him a bit bland. However, it goes to show things can change with time as I actually really enjoyed a full listen to his breakthrough.
David Gray is a singer/songwriter who adds electronic soundscapes to an otherwise traditional format. White Ladder is his fourth album, and the release that propelled Gray to international fame. The album was self-recorded, and originally released to limited success in the United Kingdom. Gray opened for Dave Matthews for a few shows, and the album was subsequently re-released on Matthews' label. White Ladder includes a few songs that became international hits, including "Babylon" and "Please Forgive Me." Gray's earnest voice and compelling songwriting create songs of widespread appeal.
4.0
I didn't know he sang Babylon. Enjoyable album!
Honestly I enjoyed this a lot more than so thought I would. It grew on me fast and reminded me heavily of some of my favourites - the Lumineers. It was simple but in my opinion very enjoyable and no complaints here.
"Oh, David Gray, he sings that Babylon song, not a big fan of that song, but let's see what he's got" Presses play... "WHAT IS THIS?" Is this going to be a five star album?" That's how it went down from the start, then it just kind of slowly faded from there. Overall a good album, but "Please Forgive Me" was great, and if he could of kept that up it would have been a 5/5. This isn't what I normally listen too, but was surprised how much I enjoyed it. 4/5
That was great. Lots of songs in movies from the 90s and 00s. Chill. Slow. Good background music or road trip
What a treat. Brought back good memories. Loved the easy flow of Babylon. First time hearing other songs I would listen again 😊
My goal in undertaking this project is to delve deep into many artists and albums I had never heard of in order to broaden my musical horizons, and this album fits that bill to a tee. I usually tend to avoid more electronic-sounding beats, but David Gray kind of blends it in a very intriguing way with an acoustic sound that keeps me engaged. The ratio is more in favor of actual guitar and sometimes piano, which gives me the impression that Gray took more pride and care in the recording of the musicianship rather than creating this all on a computer, which I very much appreciate. Gray also has a nice singing voice very much in the style of a singer-songwriter in keeping with the soothing nature of the record to me. All in all, this listen has been a terrific experience and now knowing that Gray has a large following in the UK and 11 other studio albums to listen to, I'm excited to delve more into his catalog. Notable Tracks: - Please Forgive Me - Babylon - pretty sure this was on the Walgreens in-store playlist from the 2010s that gives me nostalgia for my time as a Customer Service Representative (cashier, let's be honest) - We're Not Right - White Ladder - This Year's Love - beautiful song from a memorable scene in The Girl Next Door, a movie I bought in high school because I thought Elisha Cuthbert was hot, only to stumble upon a genuinely great movie 8/10
god damn
I do like David Gray, I think it is more from endless repeats by my Dad on road trips rather than the music.
decent
Chill
Such a classic! Love this album and it still sounds good.
Enjoyable but haters gonna hate
Dad used to play this one a lot, so pure nostalgia... "folktronica" that sounds a little Crowded House-y.
Solid album
What a pleasant surprise as well
Really beautiful album. Only got one listen, but really enjoyed the beautiful singing, lyrics, and music. Very folk oriented and wonderful to listen to, 4/5!
I really liked this album and will be listening to it again in the future.
Very enjoyable. Mellow but well worth listening to.
I am a sucker- I really enjoyed this.
Enjoyable late 90's chill kind of folky album. Incredibly popular in England.
Draws you in to listen.
Lovely.
01) Please Forgive Me - 10,0 02) Babylon - 10,0 03) My Oh My - 8,0 04) We're Not Right - 8,0 05) Nightblindness - 7,5 06) Silver Lining - 7,0 07) White Ladder - 7,0 08) This Year's Love - 10,0 09) Sail Away - 10,0 10) Say Hello Wave Goodbye - 10,0 TOTAL: 8,75 (88/100) I remember how huge this album was back then. I really loved (and still do) "Babylon", it's a great track. I know all the singles, listening to the rest of the album for the first time. I know we all kind of dislike Ed Sheeran and James Blunt these days, but back when this album came out, this was new, it was fresh and it was like nothing else at the time. And I simply can't put Ed Sheeran and David Gray in the same sentence, David Gray was never as "sugary" as Sheeran is. I see some reviewers are very harsh on this, as I will probably be on some thrash metal band, but hey, we can't all like the same things. For example, I don't even like vanilla. Go figure...
Babylon. Rock, alternative rock, folk rock.
Such a lovely relaxed vibe. It seems I'd encountered David before and I found this album quite relaxing and enjoyable. I'll be back for more. Faves: Babylon, White Ladder
Good but not my thing
That was surprising.
A good album, I liked Please Forgive Me, Nightblindness, Silver lining and Sail Away the best. So definitely a hit with me.
I can’t believe this album is 26 years old! Babylon is no more than 10 years old in my brain. It reminds me of how quickly life passes by. I didn’t expect this kind of reaction; such a draw of nostalgia. Music goes beyond simply hearing the notes. It holds more meaning than tickling the ears. White Ladder climbed its way into my heart. Now, I have to figure out what happened to David Gray.
It's an okay album, giving very big Dave Matthews vibes - the lyrics are good, Would love to see some other singers sing these lyrics
also samey but this time with stand-outs. got a bunch of great pop songs mixed in with other songs that sound like the pop songs
I've heard Babylon a million times but wasn't familiar with the rest of his sound. It's okay.
Had only previously heard the song "Babylon" - which is honestly, one of the most overplayed songs, isn't it? Good album. Great for a Sunday Brunch.
A pretty solid folktronica release.
Great album, one I listened to a lot back in the day
I thought I had never heard of this before so I was surprised when I realized I knew a few of the songs. I liked it, very of the time and not necessarily something I'd want on vinyl. But I saved a few songs.
Wanted 3.5, rounded up because the last track was a great cover
Pleasant and sweet I so enjoyed this in a long drive after some intense days
Ambient rock, coldplay like, nice as background music, nice for road trips, reminiscent of 90s music
Good album! Solid and enjoyable
I like
David's breakthrough album. 4 or 5 good tunes and a decent cover.
Sliver Lining was my favorite. I wasn't expecting much of this album but i liked it more than i thought i would. Babylon was immediately familiar.
Bonus for Soft Cell’s “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” at the end! Love that song … both versions.
Solid album.
This is exceedingly good.
Nice tunes. A little Elton johnish
Chillout für die Seele. . Geradlinig und nicht so aufgesetzt wie Ed Sheeran und andere Nachfolger. Besonders schön: Sail away
AJ: haven’t heard Babylon in like 25 years. 13 year old AJ secretly loved this very serious love diddy. Pleasantly surprised by some of these songs. Very cool musically and he’s very poetic. “My oh my” my made me write some. Appreciate that too.
Good songs but very low mood. Got to feel nostalgic and mellow to get in there.
Always enjoyed this one.
Very good
its ok, some classics but a little bland for me
Wasnt that into
Easy listening
Really good beats and vocals Nothing too crazy tho
Exactly what you’d expect out of an album about love. Sail away, the years love, and say hello, wave goodbye were especially good. Good stuff, 4-4.5
I was surprised by this one. The only song I knew was Babylon which has been so overplayed that it's hard to judge without bias. The rest of the album however is a very heartfelt singer songwriter underwritten by some strong electronic details that keep it rich and interesting.
One of the more enjoyable singer songwriter albums on the list, though it doesn’t add much to the genre or overly memorable pieces outside of Babylon.
David Gray from England One of the biggest albums of the year Singles: ---------------------------------- This Year's Love Babylon Please Forgive Me Sail Away Say Hello Wave Goodbye Good music, catchy songs that gets better after you are away from it for a while.... Favorite track: This Years Love 4/5
Some of this is good but not great, but the hits are great. You only need a few great songs to make a very good album. 4 stars.
I know this album. Though I prefer a New Day at Midnight mostly, especially Dead in the Water
Wow I hadn't heard "Babylon" in YEARS! When it was popular, I didn't really care for it but it's grown on me while it's been in dormant in my synapses. I actually kind of liked this album. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again but it was good.
Middle of the road classic, inoffensive but some absolute bangers on the record too.
I fell acleep mwn den va bra sorglig
2000er nostalgie
Nice chill music. While listening to the Album I was reminded a bit of Train and a bit of Dave Matthews.
allez cest cadeau
Love it always a classic
I fucking loved this album, gave John Martyn vibes and was oh so chill
Massive soft spot for this one. Brought back a particular time in my life.
This brought back a lot of memories. Nostalgia overload from my last years of high school and the start of college. My rose colored memories create bias, but I think this is a killer album.
I really liked this album. I listened all the way through the album without looking at the songs and the album really flowed nicely. I really enjoyed the vibe of both the instrumentals and the vocals. I dont know why but I get a lou reed and bob dylan vibes with the vocals, which I really liked If I had to pick one song from this album its Babylon. I reall like the chill vibe from this song and listened to it multiple times after the album was finished
808s were slapping for no reason on “We’re not right” This album didn’t blow my mind but something about how well produced and crafted it was makes me really respect it. I’m gonna go with my gut on this
Babylon. Rock, alternative rock, folk rock.
I thought it sounded familiar but as soon as Babylon came on I figured it out and I was very aware of the song from back then, the rest of the album I quite liked and will listen to again, I will assume it will grow on me more over time.
pretty good. have to be in the mood.
decent "sail away" - najbolja mi pjesma na albumu
Solid 90s
Tbh at first I was like "oh yeah I know this guy/this voice/that one song" but then throughout the whole album I was surprised at how many of this dude's songs I knew and recognized. None of them are total bangers imho but I enjoy a good nostalgia dopamine infusion.
Chill
This is quite lovely.
This was a nice and pleasant listen. I had forgotten about Babylon from back in the day, and I sense that this whole album will now suffer that fate. There’s nothing particularly bad, but it also seems to be missing a hook to draw me back.
Very nice. My Oh My, Silver Lining, and White Ladder in particular felt special.
This was a very pleasant album to listen to, maybe so much so that I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted a little more out of it. The songs are really well constructed and my brain told me that this was a very good album but I wasn't grabbed as emotionally as I thought I should have been. After a couple of listens it did start to warm up a bit more. While I'm still not completely bowled over by this, I find it very listenable and enjoyed lazing around to this laid back album.
Used to really love this album...in fact it may have been my most listened to album of 2000. Don't think it holds up quite as welll...or maybe I wasn't in the right mood yesterday. Surprised to learn Say Hello, Wave Goodbye was a cover...that was probably my favorite song on the album. 4/5
This was rather lovely. Soothing folk with a feeling of motion. I am surprised to see that this was released in the 90s and was knocking around for a couple of years before becoming popular. I also never knew it was quite SO huge. It remains the biggest selling album of all time in Ireland. Impressive, and perhaps not entirely undeserved. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Babylon Date listened: 03/04/23
Best Song - Nightblindness
Honestly not my cup of tea at all but I enjoyed it. One of the rare occasions I’ll give it 4 stars and probably won’t ever revisit
23rd March 2023 Listened on the drive back from the office to second Rita show. Comms team away day (in the office). The whitest album since the white album.
Ich kann nicht ganz beschreiben warum, aber ich lieb dieses Album ein bisschen. Der Text ist deep und chillig gesungen. Trotzdem wird es durch den Beat im Hintergrund nicht langweilig langsam. Außerdem gibt es auch coole Instrumentals. Ich weiß aber auch, dass ich es nicht oft genug hören würde für eine fünf. Ist aber bisher mein lieblings glaub ich.
Helt ukjent og veldig fint! Særlig åpningssporet treffer godt.
Great tunes and it doesn't outstay its welcome
Easy listening
I've gone my whole life thinking Babylon was Tracy Chapman. Would've continued to believe that if not for this site. That aside, really good music. Good songwriting. Great voice.
Loved the vibes on this.
Big fan .5ish
This brings back memories. Listening back now it's pretty generic and the production is uninspiring (were any instruments actually played?). Still, the songs give off a gentle vibe which is enjoyable despite that and there's certainly enough hits on show.
Gets better with age!
David Gray’s magnum opus? Excellent album, boss voice. Saw him at the philharmonic and he was boss - funny fella too. I back DG x
all of the songs are solid but the album becomes slightly one-note after awhile
Singer songwriter. Ruhig und entspannt
listening to the first song i thought i was going to LOVE this album but i didn’t. still good though!
Definitely adult contemporary, but very good. Nice songwriting and delivery
This was a great album, I've listened to it many times. So many good tracks, Babylon, please forgive me, sail away, and last year's love to name a few.
Enjoying it. Good energy. Good lyrics and music. Feels really cohesive.
Wow, this takes me back to '98. One of my Dad's favourite albums, rest his soul.
Really liked this one! I like the production, a few of the instrumentals aged very well and sound great but some definitely sound dated. The vocals throughout the whole album are SO good, his voice and lyrics were engaging the entire time. I will definitely be listening to this one again! Favorite songs were Please forgive me and Say hello wave goodbye
8/10 it’s actually pretty fun, I’m a really big fan of all the electronic techniques he uses but the 90s folksy stuff is a tad annoying, and when I found out this was released on Dave Matthews label, it makes sense
I enjoyed the album
Awwwwwww... this brings me back to my college days. I loved Babylon and I would listen to this CD over, and over, and over, and over again. Beautiful trip down memory lane.
Its like some sort of a more electro-pop Jeff Buckley
Growing up in Ireland in the early 2000s, this album was absolutely EVERYWHERE. In shops, comstantly on the radio, at dinner parties, in pubs, etc. The stat about 1 out of every 4 households having a copy is very believable. Because of that, it's very nostalgic for me and is obviously an influential album. Ireland had a run of wannabe David Grays over the following 10 years, none of whom ever came close. But is it any good, you ask? Well, yes! The first 3 songs and the last 3 are fantastic, but I do think they overshadow the more average songs in the middle. This is a pretty solid 4 star for me.
Mamalón
Relaxed indie-folk-pop. Recognized a few songs
Cool arrangements, deep songwriting, excellent album
71/100
I listen it with pleasure…
There's something about his singing style that seems so typical for its time: late 90's early 00's. Or maybe he just sounds a lot like Ryan Adams who I remember was pretty popular back then (born in the 90's I could easily misremember). I discover that I like the album best when there's little guitar in the arrangements. Example is the opening track and This Year's Love. This being called Folktronics I guess I prefer the tronic part of it, as well as rhe piano. On many songs, something about the guitar cuts against the other instruments when it's in the foreground, in a way that mostly doesn't work for me. It really does sound like folk pop taken into a more modern time. Which does not make it timeless in any way, rather the contrary. And that has its certain charm. What makes it work and what makes it popular is the song writing. I have no trouble understanding this album being so popular when it was released. The first and biggest hit from White Ladder, Babylon, is probably one of my least favourite songs on the album leading myself to believe that I wouldn't like this album. It's so uncool, but I find myself unable to resist this cheesy, urban sounding folk pop.
Genieten, hoop hier nog eens naar terug te keren
This was a trip listening to again for the first time in at least 20 years. "Babylon" was a big hit on the radio, I guess around the time I was in middle school. I associate it with a time when I was having a crisis about whether God exists - I was raised going to church, and had just heard the theory of evolution explained. Since this song has biblical references, a lot of that angst and emotion was poured into listening to the song. There's something really lonely about the album, a longing, and the synth they're using just sucks the soul out of the songs to the point where I'm left craving more richness - therefore planting that feeling of longing in me. It works perfectly. The last song, "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" hit me just right for some reason.
Babylon. Rock, alternative rock, folk rock
Trevligt, känslomässigt indie-album. Härligt singersongwriter vibe med sköna vocals. Jävligt chill.
7,5/10
I quite enjoyed this. This Year’s Love was stuck in my head.
Does anyone else in the group even use these?
Took me back to CP
I'm not sure if I really like this album or if I just had a good mood today in general. At least I don't find it bad or anything.
Very nice.
I wasn’t sure what to think at first, as I’m not a huge fan of that voice style but the more I listened the more I enjoyed - the lyrics are beautiful. I added a couple of songs from the album.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Please Forgive Me (1) 2 - This Year's Love (8) 3 - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (10)
Uf uf zaboravila sam na ovaj album. Imali ga sprzenog prije 20 godina. Lik je malo one album wonder al je dobar album
Babylon 2000s rock
Great
IDK exactly why, but I like it.
Oooh I really like this and had never heard of it.
Really nice album. Standouts "Babylon", "Please Forgive Me", and "Sail Away". Pleasant voice, sounds like a precursor to James Blunt sounding English soft rock, piano rock, pop feel. Not stripped down but not overly produced to still feel folk-y.
Surprisingly good.
Doriyah ah, doriyah hey
Interesting mix of sounds. Very '90s.
Holds up very well! “Please Forgive Me” is a perfect song. 4.5.
very nice "folkatronic" album that has nice pop ballads with electronic backing to create a very chill record
Есть несколько композиций, которые выделяются. В целом интересное звучание для романтического вечера.
Remember enjoying it
Very chill
very pleasant and well mixed album.
Love his vocals
Interesting record. Never heard of this guy, but he sounds somewhere between Bob Dylan and Natalie Merchant, I kept thinking of her voice on "These Are Days." Generally easy listening, and it's got the classic singer/songwriter spirit but musically does feel modern. Not sure if that's the melodies or what. I wasn't too impressed, especially at the beginning, but really settled into it on the back end. Great album! Favorite tracks: This Year's Love, Sail Away, My Oh My, We're Not Right. Album art: Actually a pretty cool one. The background picture filtered through a fence is cool, and the little geometric stuff in the middle is cool too. 4/5
This is a classic album, which I really enjoy.
Me ha gustado!!
This was a very nice album. Very much of a Ryan Adams vibe for a lot of the songs. Great singer too with a bit more of a raspy voice than Adams. I wish some of the percussion was more natural, less electronic sounding. 3.75 🌟
Great acoustic work. I do not know if it was because I was on the right mood or what else, but happened to like most songs from the first listen.
Great! Brings back memories for all, including a blue Mercedes, trips to the beach, Fatima Mansions, and David Gray's big bobbly head. Very coherent album, even if that means it's a little samey. Some fantastic individual songs like 'Please Forgive Me' and 'Sail Away'. 4/5.
Não conhecia tbm e adorei, mais um pra lista de ouvir mais. Melhores músicas: This Year's Love e Please Forgive me
Smooth like Skippy
Solid album overall, easy listening. Babylon, Sail Away, This Year's Love, White Ladder, Nightblindness, We're Not Right and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye all leaves a strong impression.
Listened to on 3/16/22 4/5 Favorite song: Babylon The PERFECT background working soundtrack - so good and easy to listen to
3/16/22 I really liked this album. A very easy listen. Added two songs into my playlists. I want to be better about giving 5s so I might give this a 5, but I’m not sure. I wish this was on a 10 point scale because it would be a solid 9! Favorite song; Babylon
The album still stands up today, with the stand-out tracks Babylon and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
Some beautiful songs here which outweigh the weaker points of the album and make it worth it.
Songs on here that will be in my heart forever. Early folktronica? Where David led, Ed followed.
Solid throughout
I genuinely enjoyed this and found there were a bunch of songs I knew but had never really thought to put into the same basket.
great voice, classic album sound.
I really liked this album when it came out and I saw David Gray perform in Boston when he toured in the U.S. right after the album was released here. It was a good concert. Likable fellow and performs well. I haven't really listened to it straight through in a long time. I never got sick of it per se, but I think the long break is good because today listening to the whole album again shows me the songs still click nicely for me. It's a really strong group of songs. I have to admit I don't think I've heard much of his catalog since then and looking at the Wikipedia entry about him, he's done a ton of stuff over the years. I'll have to check it out.
I haven't listened to this for ages, and had forgotten how much I liked it. It's a bit of its time, particularly his voice, but overall it's very good.
Dad tunes - I like This Year's Love
This is really nice. Very mellow but has a great feel to it, and David Gray's voice is one-of-a-kind. 4 stars.
Couple of bangers Solid
Not too bad! Didn't know what to expect going in but liked most of it!
I love this album
I have listened to this album a few times before. Babylon was a massive hit (deservedly) when I was in university and my brother's roommate had a copy of the album that we would borrow. I love his voice; this is the kind of album I'll put on when I'm looking for a little nostalgia and maybe a little longing for something gone by (single tear). It certainly has that mood. This Year's Love in particular gets me every time - I can rarely listen to it just once. An all time fave. Lyrics are good too, as long as you're up for sadness. What I don't love is the drum tracks and computer synth that became all the rage then and/or continued for singer-songwriters (e.g., Daniel Bedingfield, eventually Gotye). Tracks 3-7 are a little monotonous (or uneven) but I am a fan of the other 5 tracks. So probably a 3.5 in the end, and I fully admit I'm rounding up because of nostalgia.
Ol' wobby-head has still got it.
A little embarrassed to admit it, but this is a great album.
Co-worker asked if I was okay listening to this album all day. Solid album with lots of great mellow songs. Was especially impressed with the nine minute closer. Fave tracks: “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” “Babylon”
A classic
I liked!! Big main character energy
A good chilled out electronic pop folk album. If that's a genre? Stand out tracks - My oh My - Sail Away - This Year's Love.
Но мне не очень
Very nice. Will listen again
Un dels millors discos del génere dels 90. 'Babylon' per suposat és un dels grans hits dels 90, per la seva bellesa i la seva qualitat, però és que la resta del disc no va gaire per sota. Destacant sobretot el portentós de la veu de Gray i la seva manera d'omplir l'espai, gairebé de forma cinemàtica.... un disc per conservar
Lots of songs I didn't realize I knew. A relaxing album. I will be listening again.
Приятное исполнение, лёгкая хорошая музыка в жанре фолктроника конца 90х
I found the track "Babylon" a few months before it was in regular rotation on the radio. I listened to that track again and again. I was curious about the rest of the album and was happy to find that "Babylon" was not an outlier. The album works as a whole. "Babylon" is still my favorite, with "Please Forgive Me" and "Silver Lining" as a good follow up. I would listen to this album again.
This was a very nice album. Very much of a Ryan Adams vibe for a lot of the songs. Great singer too with a bit more of a raspy voice than Adams. I wish some of the percussion was more natural, less electronic sounding. 3.75 stars
Nice voice
1998! i'm quite liking this. i was going to unwind (after a long day and too much driving) listening to megan thee stallion but this works too. didn't like the last three tracks.. i'll comeback to this album for tracks 1-7 which were amazing. my brain's too fried to elaborate.
Great easy listening, a couple obvious greats.
Great songs and great album
Turned out that I knew and really liked Babylon already.
Really good musicanship from David Gray. I like the acoustic vibe of the music. Babylon is a fantastic song
Singersongwriter Folk Pop Schöne ruhige Musik zum Kaffeetrinken und Fenster schauen Mich hats an ed sheeran erinnert
it was okay
A quiet acoustic guitar with light electronic processing and smooth voice. Stay Awhile and Listen
This is clearly a good album, and damn popular. For people into the mellow acoustic sound this is great. I'm not totally into it, but i can appreciate it separately.
4/5
For some reason, this was really popular with my friend group when it came out in HS. This is giving me a lot of feelings. I’m not sure I actually like it, but I like it, ya know?
Grand, I don't get that pure nostalgia off it fully yet
I used to listen to this album a lot in college. I think it's a bit harder now, but I still enjoy it sometimes.
pretty nice album! not really my go-to style but its good. my least favorite part is the Eddie Vedder-y singing style
Chill! Pretty voice! Solid 4 for me
Beautiful songs. Re
Enjoyed this a lot. Great emotion in his vocals and the acoustic adds great warmth to his sound. Piano was well selected on a few points. Wave Hello, Say Goodbye was such a good departing track.
Oh! That song is called Babylon. Someone likes Dylan, got it.
This is a great album. Smooth, chill, and yet soulful. You can hear the origin story of artists from James Blunt to Ed Sheeran, but David is not nearly as smarmy or annoying as James or Ed. You can also hear why Dave Matthews liked it too.
I'll never choose this, but totally appreciate the quality
Schönes Ding, ruhige Sonntagsplatte hab zwei Songs gespeichert
Really nice album
Really surprised I don't recognize this artist, because I did recognize some songs, and most were bangers! A little short of a 'GREAT' album, it was still really nice to check out.
Enjoyed this. Quite chilled, laidback electronica - with acoustic guitars leading the music. I do have a soft-spot for late-90s dance/electronica. It was a bit more moody than I expected, as I only knew Babylon before listening. Babylon was the obvious standout though, and also This Year's Love.
Really loved. Reminded me of Alicia.
A good folk album, easy listening.
Surprisingly great album, even outside of This Year's Love
Great soothing album
Something about this album that is actually soothing and enjoyable. Nice voice, the electronics are a nice added touch
3,5/5
2/23 He bodied this genre combo, real dope mix of electronic production with deep folk vocals. Standout Tracks: Please Forgive Me, My Oh My, Nightblindness, This Year's Love, Say Hello Wave Goodbye
Kohlscore
I mean, it's nice music and I like listening to it. Is it fine art? Not so much. Tis neither brilliant nor awful, as most of the reviews seem to think x
Here in the US there is a specific age range (45-55) that more than likely owns this on some CD somewhere, either the real deal or ripped from an MP3. Most of these people don't know where this CD is and forgot they owned it about 20 years ago. People on either side of that specific age range have never heard this and somehow that encapsulates this. This is nice, at the time it reintroduced the soul baring acoustic guitar guy that had gone extinct for a bit. 3 almost 4 star album (and yes, I own my original copy still).
A bit much of the same sound. If you're in the mood for raspy whimpering vocals, it works really well. Otherwise it's got some slight electronic intervention that makes it "fresh", and currently not very impressive. Hard to hate, not much to love. 2.7/5
Неплохой спокойный поп. Один хит в альбоме. И еще пара неплохих песен. В остальном скучновато. На троечку
esta cerca del 2 pero algunas cosas lo salvan, es un álbum muy rebajado. favs: White Ladder" y "This Year's Love". 3.4
This has a Dylan'esque vibe to it that was unique enough to not feel derivative. Not bad at all.
Highlights: Babylon, Nightblindness, Silver Lining, This Year's Love, Say Hello Wave Goodbye An attempt to make a 90s Dylan that kinda failed. Gray just comes off as a cheap "mature" teenage romance singer. Musically there are some good songs, but for every Babylon you have a We're Not Right... Compared to Dylan's relatively timeless sound, a good number of these tracks can easily be placed in their time period. Lyrically I find it to be a mixed bag. Some songs are a bit too shallow and on the nose, while some are just amazing. For instance I never thought about why Babylon is named that way, but when I read about the religious background of it it clicked great with the rest of the lyrics. I was also positively surprised with the decision to cover a new wave song (Hello Goodbye), especially since it's Soft Cell whose material fits perfectly with the themes of this record.
Отлично действует как снотворное
ровный, но вялый однотипный альбом - 3
Lite pop album.
This has an intentional pace, like reading a diary decades after it’s written. It’s reflective but not as emotionally charged as in the moment. The feelings conjured up now have fresh perspective of knowing where those twists and turns led.
didnt finish..
Solid album some great guitar in here.
Found the songwriting kinda vague and messy
Ehh, was not in the mood.
Intéressant. Je peux comprendre l influence qui a eu sur certains artistes. Mais, c est loin d être mon style. 6/10
Cringey 90s overproduction but I genuinely like some of the songs
I actually enjoyed this album a bit. It started off decently strong and genuinely had great production value all the way through. At the end of it though, I don’t know who David Gray IS. This album is very much a meandering disjointed collection of late 90s turn of the century love songs.
Fine, fine and inoffensive and forgettable, like a ladder painted white or a man called David Gray
pretty good low key listening the softness of this album and the electronic elements are nice 7/10 Favourite: Say Hello Wave Goodbye Least Favourite: White Ladder
6/10… mellow / singer-songwriter / *1998
508/1089 - Nice and mellow. Some dated keyboard sounds (Roland SC-78?) and extremely samey though. In-between a 3 and a 4 for me.
Good memories
It was okay. A little unremarkable considering all the other great music in the genre that was released around the same time.
Would I listen again: yeah Couple of songs I really liked and overall a high 3, very pleasant and listenable. Just not super dynamic I guess
Chill album. I like the first song Please Forgive Me.
A little on the dull side, but not as tedious as memory serves 3.5*
3.3 God I remember when this came out. Deleted it from my memory bank it seems. Bit old sad bastard music-y - couldn't get the thought out of my head of it sounding like a manc guy doing an impression of Eddie Vedder. This Years Love is a lovely song, some others are good, but most just vanish into forgetfulness.
Mid
Gray believes that the success of White Ladder paved the way for "soul-baring" artists such as James Blunt, Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, James Bay, and Tom Walker.
felt like a mix of bob dylan and Bruce Springsteen to me. I enjoyed this one
Exquisitely mediocre
Lovely! A British Ray LaMontagne or John Cougar. His vocal style took a bit to get used to, but I was moved to. The Romance is strong with this one.
I kept thinking I should hate this, but I didn't. Not sure I really liked it. I certainly wouldn't listen to it again. But it wasn't awful. Definitely started to drag and feel repetitive toward the end, but it wasn't terrible. In light of some other albums we've had to listen to, I guess I can be grateful for that. Although maybe being terrible might have made it more interesting? Overall the impression here is just of monotony, which is probably not what Gray was going for.
Not really my thing, but pretty good. It’s very reminiscent of this kind of melancholic but pretty pop of the late 90’s and 2000’s. It kind of scratches an itch where I don’t really ache. Likeable and worthwile to listen to but probably not something I’ll revisit. The songs don’t really distinguish themselves from one another all that much.
A lovely album, though outside of the hits that have been seared into my brain through the early naughts/watching The Girl Next Door, the rest faded into a very pleasant background hum.
Good instrumentation, solid melodies, overall forgettable
A pretty standard singer songwriter album.
Was hoping for this to be something David Holmes-like... turned out to be half true, as this feels like a crossing between that, Manic Street Preachers, and Grant Lee Buffalo. But worse. Or a predecessor to James Blunt. Another album that can't fool you about which decade it was created in. 'Babylon' is a fairly good song, but the rest don't particularly speak to me. While pretty bad criticism, there is just something about David's voice that doesn't make it feel genuine. Mid 3.
I had a hard time making up my mind on this one. At times it felt way too produced and sweet; other times I found myself bopping along. I honestly thought David Gray was a one-hit wonder since I’d only heard “This Year’s Love,” which is a good song and also just barely threads the needle of being too sweet and overproduced, as I mentioned earlier. Going with a skeptical 3. Maybe this grows on you, or maybe it gets worse with every listen. I honestly don’t know.
Pleasant but sounds too quiet to be memorable. This year's love was a big hit in France.
3.5
I was surprised that I vaguely recognized two of these songs.
made me think of moby, I liked a few songs like Babylon, good vibe overall
It was ok. Another album where nothing stood out, but nothing was bad.
2,8/5
3/5
David es un romántico, letras que se sienten sinceras y cercanas porque no uso lenguaje complicado Usa elementos de electrónica en algunas de las piezas lo cual se ve innovador para este tipo de baladas y especialmente siendo este álbum del 98 Ya después de un tiempo puede sentirse algo similar, pero cada canción busca exponer un tema distinto Mucho mérito por hacer una buena base de aficionados de forma muy sutil, ya que no es un nombre que se escuche mencionar mucho al menos del lado de América dónde me ubico
Ehkä hieman rallattelu. Ihan decent taustamusiikiksi.
I liked this overall. This was fun and very calming. An enjoyable listen for sure. David Gray is a great singer. This doesn't do anything too special tho Liked Songs: "Please Forgive Me" , "Babylon" , "Nightblindness" , "This Year's Love" , "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"
A curious one, this. A bedroom record that somehow learned how to behave in public without ever really changing its clothes. What strikes me most is how controlled it is. Everything sits within a very narrow emotional and sonic range - loops, acoustic guitar, soft electronics, and a vocal that never really raises its voice. No spikes, no shocks, no great reveal. It just holds a feeling and lets it run. That could have been fatal. On paper, this is exactly the sort of thing that disappears without trace - too quiet, too unassuming, no obvious scene to carry it. Instead, it does the opposite. It embeds. You don’t have a moment where you fall in love with it, you just notice you haven’t stopped playing it. The method is the thing. This is singer-songwriter material processed through a repeatable system - closer to synth-pop working practice than folk performance. Patterns first, feeling laid over the top. It gives the songs a kind of portability. They don’t depend on performance energy, so they travel. Headphones, car, kitchen, doesn’t matter. Same job, every time. Lyrically it stays in one lane - relationships under strain, distance, trying to hold things together. There is very little sense of a wider world. No characters, no humour, no shift in perspective. Just one voice, circling the same set of feelings until they settle. That is either its strength or its limitation, depending on what you want. “Sail Away” is probably the purest expression of the whole approach. Simple piano figure, minimal movement, voice doing all the work. Nothing to hide behind, nothing to add. It either lands or it doesn’t. For me, that is the point where the album makes the most sense. The Soft Cell cover is revealing in a different way. By stripping out the theatricality and running it through this system, you can hear the working method clearly. The Van Morrison phrasing and lyrical nods pull it even further away from its original context. As a die-hard Cellmate, that takes a moment to adjust. It is less a reinterpretation than a re-domestication. The emotional contract is very clear - this will not upset the room. It will not challenge you. It will sit alongside your life and behave itself. That is why it sold, and kept selling. It anticipates portable listening before the ecosystem properly arrived. Not a big statement, more a useful object. I can admire it without quite loving it. It is touching in places, but so resolved that I find myself slightly outside it, watching it work rather than being pulled in. And yet it is hard to argue with. It does exactly what it sets out to do, with very few moving parts, and almost no waste
Respect for pioneering the genre. Just not my thing.
a very ordinary folk pop rock ish album
Havde troet, at den her ville være et mere glædeligt genlyt. Der er nogle gode numre på, specielt til slut, men det var ikke den helt store genkendelsesglæde, som jeg havde troet, det ville være.
I'm pretty sure that I once heard one of these songs in the waiting area at a generic fast-casual restaurant somewhere in a generic suburb of a mid-sized, immemorable US city.
Great Songs: Babylon Good Songs: Please Forgive Me, My Oh My, We're Not Right, Nightblindness, Silver Lining, This Year's Love, Sail Away, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye Mid Songs: White Ladder Bad Songs:
3 stars. I enjoyed the vibe
Basic ig.
🎧Please Forgive Me, Babylon, and This Year’s Love are good to great. Everything else is alright but largely forgettable.
Me gusta el tono de voz, please forgive me es lindo tema. Temporalmente me da la misma sensacion a Simply Red. Babylon creo que me lo guardo en una playlist, aun asi es como muy generico el album. Nightblindness me gusto muy tierno el tema.
Pretty enjoyable and sometimes beautiful indie rock. Had a good time. This years love is a pretty one of course, but it was pretty enjoyable the whole way through. Strong 3
4 stars (I actually love this album) vs 2 stars (it clearly has no place on this list. So an uneasy 3.
Very up my alley, nice, calm, mellow. Won't go out of my way to listen to it but I'm not upset to hear it? Best Song: Babylon Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3
Folktronica.
This really screams late 90s early 00s. kind of bland and forgettable to me. never heard about this artist or any of the songs so it don't really seem so impactful culturally (I feel like if it has a big cultural/music impact people who don't listen at least know about the artist in some way) Not bad though, easy listen and well written. just very forgettable after 1 listen
David is talented, but this particular album didn’t stick with me too much (i did like his cover of soft cell tho!)
Good vocal work. Good lyrics. Not my cup of tea, but enjoyable.
Very soothing album. Don't think I've heard of this artist or album before but I feel like I should have. Babylon is definitely my favorite, very calming and feels like a sunny day, and I remember the whole album being enjoyable. 6.9/10.
Overall: 5/10 Not terrible, but kind of bland and boring. It actually got off to a pretty good start and I like the first 3 songs a lot, but it seemed a little overproduced after that and way too generic. Fav Song: Babylon
Definitely some good tracks here, and an interesting representative of the sound of the time, when bouncy but light electronic beats paired with easy acoustic guitars was on the radio and in home stores. But there's a sameness to a lot of it. On the list? It's a sign of the age, so yes. But I wouldn't put it on my own list.
ya know what? I can kinda see why the Brits were obsessed with this album for like three years straight. This album is chill as hell. Favorite track: My Oh My 3.5/5
6/10