Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This was nice, calming…great album to color my hair with.
Boring agan
Enjoyable enough but not really my vibe.
Really chill album, great for the weekend. The only song I think I recognized was Babylon.
Rock? Nope, not here. More like Easy Listening. Pleasant. Sleep aid.
Don't think it was that bad. Pretty nice, pretty relaxing just to have in the background
Seems very independent and truthfully made in an innocent way that at times can be a bit too simple. The commercial musicianship here gets a bit repetitive but surprisingly can work in songs. Babylon is one I’ve heard before that I can get behind while also understanding the opposition to this certain sound. A few songs were surprisingly catchy and enjoyable so nothing to complain aside from the somewhat uninspired sound.
nice but long and kind of boring
3/5
Pretty good easy listening soft rock. Nothing special just average Another album that I question why is it on this list? 3/5
Ok now this is mad vibey and the music is solid
This is pleasant music, with all the positive and negative implications of such a characterization. Individual moments combine strong melodies with heartfelt delivery, giving the songs a deep emotional resonance. But it also can have a middle-aged mom adult contemporary vibe - safe, inoffensive, and a bit boring. Probably a better record than I give it credit for, but I think others (Jason Isbell comes to mind) deliver this style of music much better.
People probably ate this up in the 2000s Mid I guess. 3/5
Yet another album that was huge in the UK and sorta popular over here. I've never listened to more than the two hits that made it in the States, "Babylon" and "Sail Away". Both are pretty classic 90's hits, but I don't think any new ground was broken on this album. His voice is nice on most tracks, music is kinda vanilla, it's satisfying but it's not must-hear-radio. The listening counts are high, impressive, with "Babylon" at 229M, "This Year's Love" at 283M and "Sail Away" at 119M but no song has fewer than 6.5M. This is an average release at best, I'd never include it in a Top 1001 list. Two good songs, a few of the tracks are super boring including the uber popular "This Year's Love". 3 stars but more like 2.5... This is one of those ones you had to grow up on or adore at the time, it's weak and dated now.
I like to listen to these albums and then peruse the Wikipedia page to get additional info. Good lord this sold a ton of copies! I never would have guessed. But then again it's soft pop that has a taste the masses enjoy. It wasn't my favorite but I don't think it's actively bad
I have, of course, heard Babylon. I assume when I was a kid and watched a ton of VH1 music video content. Can't imagine it made much of a splash on MTV, but who knows? I watched both. Anyway, this is fine if rather bland and boring. The random electronic beats that come in here and there are funny.
Not as sparse as singer-songwriter albums tend to be. The instrumentation on some tracks is pretty nice and detailed. This album is well produced. That being said, it’s still wasn’t that great. It felt too laid back for me. I didn’t outright hate any of the songs, but they weren’t memorable at all. This album is fine but nothing special.
I do love a live album, but no idea how this could be top 1001. Too much influence of white Guys from English-speaking countries.
Comes out the gates with some sauce; PLEASE FORGIVE ME and BABYLON. Rest of the album loses some steam, but with lyrical intrigue; WHITE LADDER comes to mind.
Started strong but trailed a little. Good not great on the hole
Must have picked up some of this through osmosis though a late 90s grocery store. His voice was almost twangy or rough, which made me think how this lane of soft rock music later got absorbed by country.
It’s nice to listen to pleasant acoustic love songs once in a while. Nice but not exciting. I added “Babylon” to my Generator playlist.
I saw the album cover and was praying it was some kind of trip hop / electronica album and I was happy before releasing it’s kinda ? Singer songwriter pop rock sorta whatever thing this album is. Theres not too much to critique however so take that at its will.
One of my recurring criticisms of albums on this list is that they are either too repetitive, boring, dull, or lack variance. This album should really fall into that description, as it has all of the elements that these albums contain. But, for some reason, I actually find this a pleasant listening experience. Is it one of the best things I've ever heard? No. It's just a nice, relaxing pop album from a very British singer that has some really intricate parts to it.
I rather liked this album, it was easy to listen to.
I was surprised to read just how popular this album apparently is in the UK, having barely been aware of its existence until now. But I enjoyed it.
Album Review 088 White Ladder by David Gray (1998) Rating 2.5/5 Beige ladder.
Innocuous
A neat sound I don't think I've heard much of anywhere else. It does seem a bit like the songs were written from a place of real emotion, and then later recorded once the feeling had completely passed and Gray simply couldn't be bothered to tap into that emotional space to give us something sensory. I could see this being really good background music in a coffee shop of the same era that doesn't have takeout cups and the sofa in the center of the room has an impression from someone who sat there for three hours reading a book and not actually hearing what music was on.
It's hard to critique this album objectively since it was sooooo overplayed when it was released the second time. Ultimately, the songs are too sentimental for me.
My sweet David Gray. There's something nostalgic about this for me, and I wasn't even alive when this came out. I agree with some of the lower reviews here -- generic rainy-windowpane pop-rock, Y2K indie movie vibes, something you'd find preset on your phone for alarms. But also, it's really pleasant and really sweet. But also, it does all kind of blend together. But also, I feel peaceful. Fave tracks: - Please Forgive Me - Babylon - My Oh My - We're Not Right - Nightblindness - Silver Lining
A nice easy listening album. A couple famous songs which are lovely.
Sleepy 90s coffee shop acoustic
Pretty safe and standard, but not everything needs to be groundbreaking. He has a great voice. Excellent music to just kinda chill out to, especially late at night. Favorite Song: Babylon
Only heard Babylon before. I can see why people like him.
Solid but and soulful, but not something I'd seek out.
Felt like I've listened to this album before, but I haven't. It's pleasant enough but very generic. Babylon is the standout here though have heard it hundreds of time but never took any notice of the artist or album.
I’ve heard Babylon hundreds of times without actually knowing the name David Gray. Not really a fan of Babylon, maybe just how often I’ve heard it and the settings I’m hearing, but the rest of the album was pretty nice.
This album makes me feel like a mostly content 40 year old British mom in the 90s thinking back on my high school boyfriend with a mix of longing, regret and ultimately, acceptance that it wasn’t meant to be. In a good way.
Love the vocals (reminds me of Elton John), some interesting progressions/arrangements, a little one note at times, but damn, this is a solid album all around. Best suited for an overcast day
I was actually pretty into this album back in the day, or was I? Babylon is still a pretty charming song, but the rest of the album doesn’t quite hold up. still very pleasant.
I loved this album when it first came out, but the more I listen to it, the more I think it's more about the time and place I was in. It's good, but not as awesome as I remember. I was a bit sad about that.
Irgendwie interessant. Aber nur irgendwie.
einige lieder sehr cool, andere sehr langweilig
Boring early 2000s tv show music. Wasn't offensive but like.... not a stand out at all. I enjoyed my listen in the way that one enjoys the feeling of cotton.
Thoughts before listening: British dude doing folky acoustic songs with electronic beats. I think that's right. Does he do the song "Babylon"? If so that's a good one. Review: Called it. This is fine although not really my thing. "Babylon" is still a banger though. 3-stars
A couple of good songs but pretty average. I didn’t hate it
3.5 arguably a 4
A live album is just a badly recorded compilation. Enjoy this guy's music but not live albums
Ihan ok. Ei kuitenkaan iskenyt silleen, että jaksaisi kuunnella uudestaan. 2,5/5.
Kender ham ikke to be honest men dejlige melankolske følelsestunge sange, god vokal, fine arrangementer, god stemme, ømhed og kraft i skøn forening, uhaaa as we speak lidt mundfløjteri, fedt
Ift. at det er Irlands mest sælgende album nogensinde var jeg ikke så begejstret? Synes det var hyggeligt og rart i baggrunden på kontoret, men der var ikke noget der stod stærkt ud for mig
Nostalgia wins.
I really liked what was going on here, but struggled to stay interested as it felt like he used up all his interesting ideas in the first half.
Sappy and 90s but good listening.
Recognized the opening song right away. Reminds me of early 2000s TV shows. Pretty chill vibe, if a bit on the sad side. 6/10 Pretty Good
This ablum isn’t bad, and it’s not something I dislike, but as a full album it didn’t really click with me and felt a bit monotonous overall. “Sail Away” stood out as a track I enjoyed more than the rest.
It's not a bad album by any means, but I find it difficult to picture the person this album is for. To me, it sounds mostly like background noise. Like this album belongs playing at a coffee shop or on the soundtrack of a CW show. I like the music and the lyrics, but I can tell I am not the intended audience for this particular album. Still and enjoyable listening experience, I'm just not sure if I'll end up revisiting it anytime soon. My favorite song ended up being "Sail Away."
Starting to realize I don’t hate British pop like a lot of people do I do think this one’s super generic; the dude sounds like that Verve album we got last month without the bangers, but I just can’t bring myself to hate it. It’s like a fast food burger, where you gotta make sure you limit yourself and you shouldn’t go in expecting a masterpiece, but it’s engineered specifically to be tasty. I don’t think I can give it higher than a 3 because other than the first song nothing really left a huge impression on me, but none of the rest of the music hurts to listen to.
British bias once again, but this actually has some decent music and lyrics behind it. Has a bit of Ryan Adams to him. Maybe with a touch more electronics. Coldplay? Anyway, fairly listenable but not terribly memorable.
Kinda boring for an album. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this album didn’t really get exciting. All the songs also felt a little too long and I really don’t know how I feel about it. I didn’t really like the album, but it didn’t sound bad.
Another first for me, I've never heard of David Gray before this listen. I have to say though, this may be one of the most uneventful listens so far. There were some decent songs here and I was pretty excited after the initial folk and electronic fusion in the beginning. Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn't anywhere near as interesting as that opener, instrumentally at least. With that said, I still enjoyed this album, I just don't think it did anything special for me. I did enjoy the song Nightblindness a lot, it has one of the better choruses here. The song The Year's Love is a great piano ballad. I'm not sure why, but the vocal performance on this song sounds very much ahead of its time, it feels like something that's been replicated by many poppier singers in the 2010s and 2020s. Maybe it's the raspy vocal performance or the nature of the melody itself. Still really loved it though. My favorite song on this album has to be Sail Away. David's vocal performance sells this one for me. It's a very strong performance with a great lead melody. Not much to say for this one, was pretty easy listening. David Gray's a solid writer and a really good singer, but I think a lot of the songs, especially near the middle, left a lot to be desired. With that said, I'll admit that this album may grow on me in the future, maybe I'll grow to appreciate and understand its more. I do think there are some incredible songs here. Did I need to listen to this before I die? Why not?
I was quite excited to do this because the three songs I knew (Please Forgive Me, Babylon and Sail Away) are all bangers, and because Gang Of Youths ripped them off so well on Forbearance. It's a shame that the rest of the record is quite dull.
Звучит все однообразно После 5го трека становится уже плохо от однообразности пения
I feel torn on this album. I like David Gray a lot and this is almost certainly his best album. However, it definitely isn't an album I would say someone needs to hear before they die. It's pretty normal singer-songwriter pop music overall. For nostalgia reasons it is a 5/5 for me, but if I'm being honest it is more of a 3/5 in reality. It starts incredibly strong with "Please Forgive Me" and "Babylon" which are genuinely great pop songs, and it ends fairly strongly with "This Year's Love", "Sail Away", and a great (if perhaps a bit long) cover song, "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", but if I take my nostalgia goggles off I have to admit that the middle of the album doesn't maintain the momentum of the beginning or rise to the same level as the final group of songs. So, 3/5 it is.
David Gray – White Ladder (1998) ist das vierte Studioalbum des britischen Singer-Songwriters David Gray. Es entstand zwischen April und August 1998 in seinem eigenen Heimstudio in London und mischt akustische Elementen mit elektronischen Beats, was sich im Genrebegriff Folktronica widerspiegelt. Das Album enthält mehrere später erfolgreiche Singles, darunter „Babylon“, „This Year’s Love“, „Please Forgive Me“, „Sail Away“ und „Say Hello, Wave Goodbye“. „Babylon“ gilt als sein bekanntester Song und wurde auf der Neuauflage des Albums 2000 in die Charts gebracht. Die Produktion wirkt bewusst zurückhaltend und nutzt eine reduzierte Instrumentierung mit Gitarre, Klavier, programmierter Percussion und dezenten Samplern, was den introspektiven Liedern Raum gibt. Besonders die melodischen Balladen wie „This Year’s Love“ oder „Please Forgive Me“ sind prägnant ausgearbeitet, während „Babylon“ durch seinen eingängigen Chorus besticht. White Ladder war kein sofortiger kommerzieller Erfolg bei seiner Erstveröffentlichung, doch nach der Wiederveröffentlichung 2000 wurde es zu einem der erfolgreichsten britischen Alben der frühen 2000er, mit langem Chartverbleib und beachtlichen Verkäufen. Bewertung: Ein sachlich produziertes Album mit konsistenter Stimmung, das Gray weltweit bekannt machte und eine Reihe starker Songs bot, die seinen Stil aus nüchternem Songwriting und moderner Produktion definierten.
Decent.
Electronica met instrumenten, best leuk
Ну, в целом приятно
3+ Stars (9/15)
So decent songs on here.
днбшные ритмы прикольно, но в целом минус-вайб...
Not my type of genre, although it was still very good
Beautiful collection of songs, and David has a captivating voice. Favorite track: Babylon
David Gray is something of an interesting guy. My local radio station (remember when radio stations had character before corporate media conglomerates sucked the soul out of the creative artform?) would play "Babylon" all the time. One of those songs played often enough that captured the sound of the radio station, one of many stripes if it was a good one. KFOG (San Francisco) was a good one indeed. Back to David Gray: he might be the most random dude to pretty much inadvertently make one of the longest charted albums in UK history while being a fairly ordinary musician/dude (read: no known mental health issues/not an alcoholic or drug abuser). This guy made some album that catched as much fire as Dark Side of the Moon. White Ladder starts out pretty hot, but fizzles out (unless you like that sort of boring 'adult contemporary' music) near the end. Overall a fine record, nothing spectacular like the sales and chart figures would indicate, but can be defined as Douglas Adams once succinctly wrote about the human race, it's "mostly harmless". Babylon is still the highlight, along with Please Forgive Me and Nightblindness, but there's not too much more to this record than what you can grasp out of the first couple of songs. David Gray is a fine singer who made a fine album that won the music lottery in terms of sales. That's really great for him. There are plenty of worse people that have won the music lottery and have gone off the deep end mentally or socially or have some other negative social consequence. Now to meet someone, anyone, that calls themselves a diehard David Gray fan, just to see someone on the street that can name more than two or three albums this dude made if not for White Ladder alone. I'm sure there are dozens of these people, just probably not in the United States.
Hits are still good, but the style in general is so dated that nothing else will penetrate my brain. 3.5
Je verwacht bij het luisteren van een snoblijst, dat daar toch wel wat obscure dingen in staan, samen met iconische albums die bij iedereen in het trommelvlies gebrand staan. Maar daar valt David Gray toch niet echt onder? Dit is gewoon enorm generieke muziek uit eind jaren 90/begin 00s, in het genre James Blunt etc. Wat je de hele dag kon luisteren op skyradio. Ik ken niemand die in die tijd met een David Gray t-shirt rondliep. Ik ken ook geen festivals waar David Gray een headliner was, laat staan op het affiche stond. Goede onderzoeksjournalist die ik ben, ben ik daar wel even ingedoken. Ik vind dat hij in 2001 op Werchter stond en in 2006 op Pinkpop. Verder een handjevol optredens in Tivoli Vredenburg en het Carre in Amsterdam. Tja, ik ken zijn oorwurm Babylon, dat slechts in 2 edities van de top2000 heeft gestaan. En dat is het wel een beetje. Heeft hij dan nog een wiki om van te smullen? Hij is schijnbaar geboren met een soort van maagband en hij is fan van Manchester United (wat in deze tijden zwaar moet zijn). Niks van een drugs- of alcoholprobleem, hij slaat voor zover wij weten zijn vrouw niet en hij heeft zo te zien nog nooit door rood gereden. Oftewel een en al saaiheid, net als zijn muziek. Het is ook weer niet slecht genoeg om er nu per se uit boosheid een laag cijfer van te maken. Een vergeetbare 3 dus.
Nice voice and good mellow sound throughout. Its kind of depressing more than soulful at times though. Not an album I would listen through in its entirety again but a song or two at a time on a bigger playlist feels like something I might do after today.
Great songwriting. Production was great. Very much a product of its time
“The protagonist and his love interest have broken up, he’s fighting with his best friend, and he’s lost his job because he yelled at his boss while standing up for his principles. Cut to a montage where all the characters look sad for a while before they sort out their personal problems, followed by the protagonist making up with his best friend. At the end of the montage, it’s two days before prom and they’re hatching a grand romantic gesture to get the girl back. We need a musical cue.” “Well, look what I have for you…”
Jason’s Deli Classics. American Idol core. English dude that sounds like an American. The Bob Dylan twang. He kind of sounds like the animals from the south park episode where they get shoved up Mr. slaves butt. 5/10
Good album. Didn't realize how many of these I've already heard.
pretty good
This album holds up well for the most part. Some classic tracks but admittedly some filler as well.
Var ganske chill
NGL, I forgot I was listening to music for a minute there. And I had headphones on. It's a little strange that anyone thinks this has anything to do with folk music. Just because there is a soft acoustic guitar in there somewhere does not make it folk!
Great melancholy
I feel like it should be pouring rain on the blacktop when I listen to this album. Maybe that is why Ireland loved it. Meanwhile, say you have a breakup montage and need to stare at the highway while you drive at night and loud cry to music in the background - you might enjoy this album. It provides melancholy atmosphere well. What it doesn’t do is add that connection that makes you bleed with David Gray.
Ok, solid 3
Fine låter. Kunne ha fått en stjerne til om produksjonen hadde vært bedre.
A couple of bangers. Rest is a bit bland
Start the car
Nice vibe to this album Fave track: Sail Away
Being a childhood car trip staple counts for something I guess. 3.5/5
I had only heard a couple David Gray songs before today, and I kinda like his style and his sound, but I find his voice kinda interesting but also easy to grow tired of. I like his music and arranging, so I did enjoy this album, but it did start to kinda all sound the same by the end. Three stars.
Hard to believe White Ladder is one of the highest selling albums of all time in UK. Not that it's bad, as I actually enjoyed the album, I'm just not sure what it did that it stormed the charts for a couple of years. I was only previously aware of Babylon which I still enjoy. The rest of the album is more of the same in mostly the same mold. The songs are somewhat melancholic indie folk, so I'm not sure why they resonated so much with everyone. Perhaps David Gray was just in the right place at the right time. Glad I finally listened to this whole album even if I don't think there will be many times I'm in the mood for this in the future. 2.86 stars
It is aggressively middling but it's alright, think there are good songs on this but the programmed drums and general production make it seem a bit compressed and bland. Would be better as a Stephen fretwelly raw acoustic album I think. Never annoyed but felt like I could have enjoyed it a lot more with a few changes.
Lovely voice but can get a bit one-note, especially if the song is sub-par. I was going to give a 2, but White Ladder and This Year's Love were cracking. Babylon is the stand-out. The album sounds really dated - not a bad thing, but definitely, "music in the background of Richard Curtis movies" -esque.
Another that I heard played by my parents a lot so kinda nostalgic. Babylon and this year's love are good songs, but it's hard to say that any of the rest of it is that interesting. I'm going to say 3 for nostalgias sake, but I feel that's probably generous
𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳 is pleasant enough, built on soft electronics, gentle strumming and an everyman kind of sincerity. The songs flow easily, but that smoothness also flattens the impact — there’s not much that truly sticks once it’s over. A couple of melodies rise above the rest, yet the album mostly settles into a safe, grayscale mood that never fully grabs me. Solid but not exciting.
When it got to Babylon, I had that “oh this song” moment. It’s incredibly generic 90s/00s music that you would hear in like a CVS. It’s fine. No wow factor.
When this came up, I didn’t recognize the name David Gray and I didn’t do any research on him before listening then Babylon came on which I instantly recognized and have heard countless times and I liked - just never enough to go figure out who sang it.
Can’t get the Babylon earworm out of my head now…. With distance of time this does not hold up that well but pleasant enough…. Say Hello and Wave Goodbye which I know is a cover os my favourite track on album.
Remember the hits. Album kind of all sounds the same though.
I guess we blame this guy for late 90's early 2000's folk singer songwriting trends but this album is pretty good.
Éxito fulgurante y breve. Armado a través de Babylon. Y nunca más se supo de él a nivel de exitos. Please forgive me, es otro buen tema. Pero, como Doves (con otros dos discos que me gustan mucho) no deberían estar en este listado. Es un disco disfrutable, pero lejos de ser imprescindible o aportar nada nuevo. Sí es cierto que incorpora algo de elementos electrónicos pero no es Beck que maneja mucho mejor tanto el folk como la electrónica.
6/10 Favorites: We’re Not Right This Year’s Love
The singles are great, fantastic vibe with some surprisingly daring production which raises the typical singer-songwriter game. It’s surprising how many hits are on this 50 minutes. Very sweet closing things out with an unusual Soft Cell cover too. If I was to critique I’d say it’s slightly too long which allows some lesser cuts into the mix which are less inspiring.
The David Gray album is a tough one to rate for me, I know way more of it than I expected, I like his voice, I like the production and occasionally the simple beauty of the songwriting hits me, but just as often it fades into the background a bit too easily… I think I’ll have to settle on a solid 3
Sure, a bit dated but great at the time
Schön entspannte Musik. Ging bei mir eher als Hintergrundmusik durch, muss ich nochmal zu anderen Gelegenheiten hören. 3/5
Has its own unique feel and sound, good, sticks pretty safely and consistently to that sound and makes a lot of the songs end up feeling the same, not as good But nice enough to be worth a listen
Hearing Babylon brought me back
Unmemorable.
This is my guilty pleasure kind of music. It's corny and likely unoriginal but goddamn I vibe hard with it.
Isn't much different than any other color ladder.
Knew about half of the tracks on here from them getting lots of airplay back at the time. It's pleasant enough, of the album tracks I didn't know I liked My Oh My but it's all pretty bland. Hard to see why it was the 11th biggest selling album of the decade in the UK, but unfair to blame him for far worse crimes against singer-songwritung committed to the likes of Blunt. A low 3 for the catchy tunes.
Easy. Decent background music.
I don't believe I hadn't heard of this, just on principle of its incredible popularity. Upon doing research, I have found this to be one of the most popular albums *of all time* in the UK, where it spent a cumulative 176 weeks on the top 100. It's an awfully unlikely hit too: White Ladder is a home studio folktronica album that dropped uneventfully in 1998. But two years later, it got re-released on Dave Matthews' label, and then simply became one of the most successful releases in the history of The UK. I can not fathom what would have changed in those two short years: but whatever happened, it's written into history now. And I think it's pretty good too. I have had an interest in folktronica, so I was pretty excited to delve into this. I don't get the sense that this is the perfect execution of the genre, but it *is* good execution of the genre. With the added bonus of being (seemingly by accident) the full realization of the genre's commercial potential. I thought the incorporation of electronic elements into folk music was largely effective here. And I think the atmosphere, and breezy, almost slightly ethereal sound is the main draw here. It's a great album for going on a quick autumn walk, which is exactly what I did while listening to it. Something pastoral and naturalistic is deeply rooted in the sound and it just feels right. I do think this dragged a little as it was winding down, but a lot of the positives remained throughout. It's cool stuff, I just can't see how *this* became one of the most popular albums ever.
I can see what people like this it's all right but the guys kind of a mush mouth.
I had a good time listening to this album, and it reminded me a bit of Rodriguez, whom I really appreciate. It deserves a solid 3 stars but isn't quite good enough for a 4-star.
Hey I know that one song!
Oh, hey, of course I know Babylon, without knowing anything about David Gray. I love the variety of sounds on this album--great work!
good
If this influenced anything even remotely interesting, it was completely by dumb luck.
Gray is a Manchester United supporter. ⭐ He said in 2005 that he is an atheist. ⭐ Haters gonna hate. Þetta er ekki ground breaking en þetta er fínt. Tónlist má alveg vera kósý.
Mjög huggulegt og fínt, þægileg rödd. 3,5
Not terrible, but does turn into background music very easily
3.5 rounded down. Call me basic but I really do like Babylon
This record is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I like the folk-tronic sound and I think it works for Gray’s vocals and lyrical moods. But because I like it doesn’t mean it’s a great record.
It's, as the kids say, very mid. But I didn't hate it, and could see listening to it again.
Couple of good songs, but nothing groundbreaking. Sounds like every song that was being played in the background of one of my college cafeterias.
I had never heard of David Gray previously, but I wish I had. A soft but impactful piece. This is the sound a lot more "pop" acts replicated around 2016 (older Ed Sheeran, James Blunt) They may not list Gray as an influence, but the comparisons are there. Straightforward vocals and instrumentals. I quite enjoyed the lyrics too
Good mastering. Soundstage on AirPods was excellent too listen to
Folktronica? He had a decent run on the radio with Babylon. Fine but quite the same throughout.
Expertly crafted background music.
Oh yes, that sad rom com sound, predecessor of people like James Blunt and other early 00s male singer-songwriters. 3* Highlights: babylon (I actually love this song)
It's like a guy who was really into the Goo Goo Dolls also kinda liked electronic music. I can see this being an album that's influential to a whole genre, but that whole genre doesn't seem to be in the room with us. I struggle to give this album 2 stars, since it's not actually bad, I just don't know where we're going here. 3 stars it is; 2-1/2 would be more accurate.
Fairly boring and inoffensive, first track is nice though.
David Gray is one of the earliest examples I can remember of this folk-y indie style of music. He was doing this in the late 1990s, ultimately setting a path for this to become a big trend in indie style music into the 2000s. This wasn't Gray's first album, but I distinctly remember what a craze "Babylon" was and continued to be, again, even against the backdrop of other 2000s indie. Gray's voice has that 90s alternative vibe that I so enjoy, but it really works well here too. All in all, I vibe with this album okay!
I'm sure Grays music is quite good if you like this kind of music. I hear a lot of good singing, good lyrical music. But it's simply not my kind of music.
I had never listened to this album before and recognized Babylon and This Year’s Love, with having no idea who David Gray was. I think I enjoyed every track. Reminded me a little of Damien Rice or something. I want to give it a 4, but I feel like it was just a little flat, songwriting was good, everything was good, just never quite elevated to what I would consider great.
Pleasant, heartfelt, and good as wimpy background music.
In college I was in the habit of making mix cds that included the songs I was enjoying at the moment. One month that included “this year’s love.” Cut to a week later. My girlfriend, her two roommates, and I are taking a road trip to help her find an apartment in the city she’s moving to after graduation. She puts on my mix cd. Second song: this year’s love. One of the roommates starts bawling. I learn it had been her “song” with her boyfriend, and they had just broken up like a week prior. Oops. We skip that song. That is my enduring memory of the song now, how I inadvertently emotionally sandbagged an unsuspecting young woman. Still a good song, though. Babylon and Sail Away are also good. The rest, meh.
Not unpleasant, but a bit dull
Any of the straight acoustic stuff, hard pass. But that like drum machine sound with this genre kinda worked for me?
Three standouts in an otherwise bland album. “Babylon,” “This Year’s Love,” and “Sail Away” are excellent tracks. The rest blurred together.
I liked the mix of singer-songwriter and electronic elements but that faded away by the end. 7/10
2.5
Well crafted set of songs with easly listening arrangements make for a relaxing album. Gray's vocal isn't quite in crooner territory and has an edge to it which keeps your listening. Nice record and worth a listen
No me pareció mal, pero mentiría si digo que a una semana de haberlo escuchado recuerdo algún track. Solamente tengo memoria de que hay algunos con buen ritmo pero que pecan de largos, y el disco llega a hacerse un tanto pesado. Así que supongo que no fui el fan no. 1 de White Ladder.
Ok but it all sounded the ssme
I remember back when Babylon was being played on the radio all the time. I couldn't really get into it then and can't get into it now.
This album is solidly alright to me, not what I’d seek out myself but I don’t regret listening to it. Probably not saving any tracks, but not mad at it.
I felt like the middle of this project was the best
Better than I thought it would be.
I never owned this album but weirdly every song was familiar. It was ubiquitous at the time.
Good pleasant stuff. A little more variety to it and I'd bump it to a 4 but felt a bit too samey.
First impression is that I like the arrangements and appreciate the voice even if I don't love it. Its a bit too mellow so I wish it had more rock, less ballady entries. Listened before? N Saved tracks? Y Favorite tracks? Please Forgive Me, We're Not Right, This Year's Love ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liked some love songs
Never heard of the album or artist. It’s kind of pleasant, but falls frustratingly short of ever actually being interesting or moving. It’s the sort of slow, melancholy music that seems like it should make you feel something, but it meanders, never really builds up, and is ultimately a disappointment. 2-3
The hits were good. I enjoyed the album. Now that you tell me Dave Matthews Band is associated with the artist it makes sense.
Pretty boring but some good things at least, good production choices.
Not really my cuppa but quite nice nonetheless
Adult Contemporary-tronica? Not really feeling this.
I think my Mom loved this music when I was in middle school.
I'd quite like to hear this fella sing some rock music. I think his voice would be suited to it. It's a bit generic 90s singer songwriter, but his voice I like. Babylon was a good song. If the songs had a bit more oomph, I reckon I'd really like it. As it progressed, it felt more like a precursor to wet music like James Blunt and his ilk. This isn't wet, so has the edge over those. Shame though: I was hoping to get more into it. It was okay.
Chill
I was enjoying the first couple songs of the album, so I had high hopes, but once I hit the middle, it just got so generic sounding. I’m surprised this album’s on the list. The last song would’ve been good if it weren’t 9 minutes long. Maybe a third of a time and I would’ve really liked it, but it just stretched out for too long. Some enjoyable stuff on here but overall not very special.
Kind of mid, kind of good. He has a really nice voice, and the album started off strong and good vibe for a train home from the airport at 10pm alone but then faded into background noise and all songs began to blend together.
okay, nice to listen to
I think it’s over hated. Introspective and a bit edgy at times but catchy and unique
Favorites: Please Forgive Me, Babylon, Nightblindness Pretty harmless pop rock, it could definitely be worse (Train) but it's nothing to write home about. The first two tracks absolutely clear the rest of the album though. 6/10
Hypnotic and enjoyable even if it doesn't grab with every song.
I knew Babylon before this and it's far and away the most interesting song here. The rest of it? Ehh 6/10
Day 42 First listen- This album is mellow and perfect for a slow, rainy day! Esp 5-8 were my fav! I will def listen to this again! (3/5)
This went well with the pseudo-fall weather we've been having. Felt like strolling down to a dumpy college coffee shop putting a scarf on and pretending to read my French existentialists.
First two songs (the first song in particular) had me so hopeful and captivated. But what followed was a slow dive into easy-listening monotony. Wasn’t horrible, but there wasn’t much going on otherwise. “Please Forgive Me” is a proto-postal service beat thats serene and idyllic. The song is so sweet and loving! Such a nice opener. “Babylon” was a song I didn’t realize I knew. It got played soooo much on the radio when I was little. Also, the voice sounded a little too much like Bob Dylan at points, like on “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”. 3/5, soft - like the music
He sounds older than 30, but nice chill vibe
I forgot about that Babylon song. Was that a hit in the US? It’s been in my head for like a week now. Ummm I guess I would call this music for British rom-coms circa 2000. Powerfully inoffensive.
I wasn't familiar with David Gray or the album White Ladder before. At the beginning and well over halfway through the album, I still thought the music might be quite interesting. In the end, however, boredom prevailed. The album is okay. But I probably won't listen to it again. 3/5
Risotto
Few good songs Nice voice Not my taste but appreciate it Voice reminds me of Elton John
I enjoyed the calming feel of this album. I was just starting out in life when this album came out, so it wasn’t even on my radar.
Easy listening. Soft rock, ballads.
It was alright, better than expected for music for parents in 1998 who didn't really like music, which it was always been in my head
It was nice enough, can't say I'd choose to listen to it again but I wouldn't switch it off
The Melancholic movie OST
decent desu
Groundbreaking? No. Enjoyable? Absolutely. Folk music with electronic beats is just hard to take seriously.
3.5
David Gray, not as good as I remembered (I seem to think I had as a four and enjoying it as quite a bit) it starts and ends really well but there is like a three song stretch, really felt dreary... But Babylon and Sail Away are tops for me still 7.65 ★★★½
This ends on a solid run of songs, but the start is really boring. Don't like the programmed drums. 3.5 stars
Despite knowing and liking "Babylon", I've never actually heard this album in full. My general take on it is that it's pretty nice and inoffensive, but also a little boring. I think the first two songs -- "Please Forgive Me" and "Babylon" -- are the best things here. The rest is kind of lesser versions of the same style -- folky acoustic guitars with some programmed drums. "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a great song too, but I don't think Gray's version holds a candle to the original Soft Cell version. 3 stars.
Nice dreary late 90s folktronic salvo, or at least initially. Starts off strong with Babylon the key evergreen wuss fire anthem and This Year’s Love later on another croaky sadtastic classic. The staring out of a window on a rainy day sameyness does get quite maddening throughout its overlong runtime though and it does congeal speedily into one bleary, subsatisfactory folktronic splodge.
I used to own this CD, also saw him perform on that tour - saw a lot of live shows then. As i listened to it again, i don’t feel it holds up very well. There are a couple of interesting songs I have enjoyed, but don’t think I’ll be listening to it again. st
Really don't know that much about David Gray (is he british maybe?), but for some reason I really like this album. 3.5 stars
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 8/1001 This album served as yet another soundtrack I could see setting the mood for any number of days. For intent listening, the first song hit me hard- a bitter-sweet and self-reflective song in a melancholy tone coupled with a casual upbeat sound and forgiving lyrics. The song was a masterpiece. Despite some of these masterpieces, there was nothing that made the album one of the most iconic of all time, yet throughout persisted a timeless quality to it. If this album were released today, it would fit right in with the same mediocracy that makes it worthy of at least a listen. There's a calming nature to this album and smooth melodies. The lyrics are deep and moving, the stories behind them are highly relatable. However, through the middle of the album, there wasn't enough uniqueness to make it memorable. Upon future listenings, I found these songs all blurring together. It wasn't until the end of the album I was sucked back in with my favorite song on the album, Sail Away. With four tracks positioned at each end of the album, you start and end on two highs that are anything but forgettable. It feels like these songs carry more soul and meaning than the others on the album, and I think that's what sets them apart. There's a power in David Grays voice which otherwise tends to be good but not exceptional. When he hones that power, the album soar. Podium: 1. Sail Away 2. Please Forgive Me 3. Say Hello, Waver Goodbye Honorable Mention: Babylon I teetered on where to exactly land with this album for a final score. Ultimately, I still find myself favoring four tracks much more than the album in its entirety. That's not to say the rest of the album isn't good; in fact, it's pretty solid and generally cohesive. I think this high-quality and multiple hits make the album worth a listen. Those songs will find their way into my playlists. While I may listen to the album again in the future for background noise, I don't see myself listening solely for the album as a whole. For these reasons, I give White Ladder by David Gray 3.5/5 stars.
3.2 the first three are bangers but then the rest kinda got lost on me
Blue eyed soul with some indie rock, with Babylon and This Years Love. Is anything else as good as these singles? Recognise Sail Away. It's easy listening but nothing inspiring really. Best track (other than those known) - Silver Lining 3 stars (2.5 but I'll round it up)
music that comes preset on your phone for ringtones and alarms.
довольно гнусаво но неплохо)
chill acoustic album. a bit repetitive in the middle but the last tracks are so good. FAVS: 1. Sail Away 2. Babylon 3. This Year’s Love
i was aware of this album but didn't think i had ever heard any of it, but turns out i was wrong, I've heard several of these songs.... over store PA systems. which to me is a pretty good summary of the whole thing: pretty pleasant, some catchy stuff, and it's got pretty broad appeal, but the flip side of that is that it doesn't have any weird hard edges or big swings for me to latch on to. it's fine, but doesn't leave me with any really strong impression
Reminded me of Tracy Chapman. I feel like I've heard "Babylon" in tons of different movies and TV show. Enjoyable, light background music.
Holy shit. This album has the highest number of scathing top reviews I’ve seen to date. It can’t be that bad, right? Anyways, awesome album cover. No clue what to expect from this one, but I’m lookin’ forward to hearing it out. David Gray is an artist I’m confident I’ve never heard of, but there are some very high stream numbers on-goldarn it. If I had a nickel for every time I talked about being unfamiliar with an artist only to be immediately hit with a song I recognise on the second track, I would have a nice assortment of small change capable of buying half a gumball. It’s heartening to know that I do, in fact, have some musical know-how after all. Yeah, it’s a bit dull and dragged out for way longer than it ever needed to be, but I can’t bring myself to dislike this album. It’s just firmly rooted in “alright” for me, which is a respectable enough place to be. The opener is a good track. I like the spacy, electronic atmosphere, which does a good job at differentiating this album from the other singer/songwriter works that I’ve listened to. Babylon is the obvious highlight. I quite like the acoustic guitar and jittery percussive sounds in the background, which I hadn't even noticed in the times where I've passively listening to this song on the radio. The vocals and songwriting are the obvious highlights, however. It’s just a nice song overall. This Year’s Love is another good one. You’d have to be phenomenally bad at your job to fail at making a piano ballad. The ambience hanging on the back of the track during the second half of the piece works pretty well, too. Gonna check the book on this one. Revitalised the career of a struggling artist. Blew critics out of the water. Broke sales records in the UK and Ireland. Surpassed some of his contemporaries on the American charts. Wikipedia says this album failed at launch but picked up steam and became one of the longest-charting albums in the UK. I’m not an authority on singer/songwriter music, but this seems like a solid pick. Definitely a better album than “The Man Who” by Travis, which scratches the same late-90s optimism itch as this album.
This is possibly the best uninteresting music I've ever heard. 6/10
I liked it. Not super remarkable but I enjoyed listening to it. Best song: Please Forgive Me Notable(s): Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Babylon, Sail Away I'm sure I've heard Babylon on the radio in the car growing up. Instantly recognizable - not as a "David Gray song" necessarily - just recognizable in the sense that it has been played far and wide. It's cool when you can finally put an artist to a song you've heard, known about but never had the energy or bother to actually look up. Granted it's been made so much easier these days, in the age of the always-listening smartphone. Anyways, I get some Bob Dylan influences, probably in the rasp of the voice. The music is eclectic, easy listening, not offensive. As I wrote this, I'd probably argue it's a little too safe, and plain. There's no daring or challenge here. Nothing particularly musically adventurous. I also really like Sail Away. There's some additional instrumentation going on besides just acoustic guitar. Light drums; Possibly piano or maybe a string instrument (besides guitar), and some nice whistling at the end. It also feels like a departure from the rest of the album in that is stands out musically.
I was more than prepared to write this off as turn of the millennium angst guitar based over mid beats rubbish (and it mostly is....) but then "This Year's Love" came on and I forgot how fucking beautiful that song is. David Gray has one song like this in each of his albums I've listened to, for example "Be Mine" on A New Day At Midnight and "Full Steam" on Draw The Line, just a beautiful ballad that hits the feels just right (or wrong) and makes you forget how the most of the album is contrived pap. Then he gets you with "Sail Away" and you're gone, damn this troubled introspective troubadour playing with my emotions... I had to follow this up with some Damien Rice, I'm not doing well babes....
5/10 I just remember this guy moving his head a lot. That's all I saw in my head was his weird head movements. not sure if that colored my enjoyment of the music. 7-9-2025
What's this shneaky little trip hop beat kicking off the album eh? Why does this actually kinda slap? Why?! File Babylon away in the collection of songs that I feel like I know well but never listen to but actually really are fantastic and I should listen to more. After the first few tracks this did slip more into what I expected it to be tbh. Quite boring singer songwriter music. If the whole album had the quality or even just the style of the first two tracks this would be a great album and a justifiable 1001 entry. But it doesn't, so it isn't. Fave Tracks: Please Forgive Me, Babylon 3.3/5
It's fine, but it is the same song over and over again. Mid 3.
Blending into background kinda music
Very chill music, has a good vibe
Heard it. Fine album
I liked this album. Sail away was a great song. Reminds me of John Mayer / that early 2000s singer songwriter pop. Easy to listen to, if a little forgettable at times.
I liked "My Oh My." "We're not Right" and "This Year's Love" we're good too!
Gray's voice sounds somewhat like Loudon Wainwright III at times.
This was OK I guess but unremarkable, rather forgettable and kind of boring. 2.5/5
Not that fussed with this album. It just seems so samey and not impressed by, say hello wave goodbye, made to sound like a rom com sign off. Meh!
Peaceful and embracing brit folk. I enjoyed the electronic overlays and experimental sound which gives an otherwise cookie cutter folk album some richer elements. I think the singles excelled in their presence of creativity. High 3
It's like a modern, more dramatic Bob Dylan. It's good, but the songs are undeniably a bit boring. 7/10
A low-key but full-sounding singer-songwriter album. Very pleasant but verges on monotonous, particularly in the last song. Best song: Babylon
Totally and completely acceptable.
Good album.
Not bad. Enjoyed it.
Babylon the clear peak but found it rather plodding in parts
good album, good songwriting and singing, nice cover of soft cell at the end as well
There's nothing wrong with this record, but there's nothing about it that makes it stand out to me. As soon as I stopped listening, I could feel my brain discarding it to make room for something else. It's like listening to a commercial - incredibly mid
This is weirdly nostalgic for me, even though I don’t particularly love it and doubt I’ll ever listen to it again. It reminds me of late college, popping open a dvd case, a gray rainy day, a shitty couch, a mid market movie starring Julia Bullock and Brad Cruise. Setting aside the nostalgia, there’s not really much to it for me to grab onto, especially past the few singles I really remembered. But it also isn’t offensive, and I don’t find myself in a hurry to turn it off. Kind of the definition of a 3 star album.
Kinda holds up out of nostalgia… but partly doesn’t hold up at all.
I was actually fond of this album - very tight album.
Adult contemporary that takes occasional view from electronic music. It's not that the album is bad, it's just a little lackluster. I don't think it needs to be on this list, but it is an enjoyable listen.
6/10 - kinda boring but not bad. Part of it sounds like beginning of a van Morrison song
It was fine
What a very pleasant record. Hadn't heard of this artist nor this album before but this was a nice, easy-listening surprise. Very cool, wavy vibes and just an enjoyable record to listen to.
Meh
Yes, agreed that this is a little bland. But it was huge in the nineties, and there are several pretty catchy songs on here. It's perfectly listenable, even if it doesn't set your heart racing.
Easy listening, men med lite dåligt tuggmotstånd. Stark trea.
1/2
ngl bruh, jos käyttäisin nyt 12000 tuntia musiikin opetteluun ja produktion tuottamiseen ja tekisin albumin niin luultavasti kuulostaisi tältä ja hävettää.. tulisi niin kohteliaisuuksia niin kohteliaisuuksia mutta sisimmässä.. sisimissiä kaikki miettii: "this shit sounds like david gray".... hävettää... toki en saisi samoja kuuntelukertoja, paska marketointi en jaksais sanoisin vaan love the music.. no marketing just music ja semmoista kommenttia tulisi vastaan että mitä vittua.. sitten loppuu julkaiseminen kokonaan kun vituttaa populaarimusiikki on kaikki mitä julkaistaan ja muut kuuntelee määritelmä on siinä vittu sellasta tee: omaan kuuntelua varten vaan only music, only music no publish... no shit publish... tghis years locvw
This reminds me of music that would play dramatically in a bad alternative 2011 movie. Would listen again if I wanted to ruin my day.
This is the kind of music that when it comes on shuffle I immediately skip it, but if I’m not paying attention at the start I find myself not disliking it when it gets my attention attention half way thru the song Generic... but not bad? 2.5 -> 3
Cheer up mate.
Not a terrible album. Nothing to really write home about on this one. Should everyone hear it before they die? Maybe. 2.5/5 = 3 on this scale.
Starts great, ends great, but there’s a really long stretch there in the middle where everything was just a tad bit arduous to listen to.
Tomorrow will be the last album I'll review for quite a while. It turns out that my dad has died today. I'm playing "Nightswimming" by REM, his favourite song. "White Ladder" is pretty good for a 90s pop album. It opens with a very strong track. 3 stars for "White Ladder".
Interesting but nothing special.
quite boring, especially the slower songs. I like the bits of electronic instruments towards the start but I guess he stopped using them or something idk. Its fine, quite average. Favourite songs: Babylon, nightblindness and the long last one kinda. Overall around 5/10
Hasn’t aged well - a few decent tracks, but nothing special.
Pretty good 4 of them I already knew but hadn't listened to the rest. 3.5
I surprisingly read that this is the best selling album of all time in Ireland, and it also sold more than 3 million copies in the UK which makes it a Top 30 selling album in this century, yet I have never heard any of these songs before (though I don't live in those countries). It was a pleasant listen - this album contains well crafted and nicely recorded (in a home studio) collection of folktronica songs. This kind of music paved the way later to such artists as Ed Sheeran or James Blunt. It's not usually he music I listen to but this is a good album albeit a bit generic.
It didn’t do much for me at the time. Still doesn’t.
This is not a record I would usually listen to but it was a pleasant surprise. I do remember the lead single, Babylon. The album features a cool mix of genres that is very much of it's time, but not dated. Reading up on it a bit, I was impressed that David Gray recorded it all at his flat. It sounds fantastic.
This is yet another multi-million selling album from around the turn of the millennium that seems to have completely passed me by for some reason. It opens with an unusual combination of fairly upbeat dance adjacent electronica with a nasal sounding singer-songwriter (one review likened him to Bob Dylan!). It took me a while to twig that I’d heard him doing guest vocals on an Orbital album from a few years later. Mostly harmless.
I’d say it’s atmospheric rather than background music, you can really visual the music- my only problem is that it gets repetitive. Love the first half!
2.5/5
I enjoyed it enough on my bus ride to work that I listen to it again on the bus ride home; however do not remember anything from the album specifically. I'll keep it on my phone for a while and see if any of the tunes really catch my interest, but at this point it's just Pleasant background music to do Wordle to.
Decent and well-crafted pop now of a certain age, good enough to try out the earlier records, but not with massive amounts of optimism. And it's awfully tame and pretty close to lame, too. Voice is iffy and songwriting okay; Dylan and Van comparisons are ludicrous – DG would have needed to have delivered 6x or 8x more quality than the one song that caught. And one remembers the record – which one felt compelled to buy or perhaps one was given by another – better than one might have thought, one not having listened to it for at least one decade and perhaps one-and-one-half. Does DG feel cursed for being a one-hit wonder? One wonders. One saw him, you know, and perhaps more than once, and one struggled to picture as him anything but, to say nothing of anything more, as one recalls. One also remembers one's wife liking the one song. Not that the other songs aren't perfectly pleasant in their way, though certainly their non-singular (one might say) yet certainly (again) decently done and delivered; yet one – like everyone else – only knows the one, which doesn't on its own terms quite rise to the level of "One" by U2 or "The One I Love," songs against which it was roughly competing across radio formats (which were beginning to die their slow deaths right about this time), though not in the rockier or anthemic categories. Slight AMSR (in the shaky effect on top of the gentle drum track) going on here, too, in the deeply pleasing-to-the-point-of-soothing feel of the one song, whose name will go unmentioned just for, you know, fun, in one's twisted sense of, you know, fun. One believes the karmic formula favored Mr. Gray here, but he was no Nick Lowe (gratuitously unrepresented in this list), maybe not even Paul Brady (as writer) or Paul Young (as singer) so; net-net, cursed as he is to brief reunion and do-you-remember tours on the downmarket, he should be thankful for what he got. Just because it sold millions doesn't mean it's not mediocre.
All good album, a few lovely songs! Babylon is so good
Great little album, don’t know how I hadn’t Hurd of it. Really enjoyed it.
A little better than expected, but not by much. The mixing feels pretty bad at some moments.
Kinda generic but I still enjoyed it. Favorite track: This Year's Love
the singer gives a bob dylan vibe.. Favorite track: babylon other picks: this year's love, white ladder
3.3 1x hadn't heard this in a while
I guess “Babylon” is a little nostalgic considering the gazillion hours of radio air time it had .. but the rest is decidedly mid.
This is a pretty good album. It is not typically the music I listen to. It is a little on the poppy side for me but I enjoyed it. Favorite track, "Sail Away" 3.5 stars.
Average album. Some hits from when I was a teen that bring back memories but nothing outstanding
The top of this album is very good, but it slogs on and gets boring fast
When I started this project of listening to the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, my partner said she reckons White Ladder by David Gray would be on it. My response was a big, “Yeah riight!” Yet here we are. I was surprised by how many tracks felt familiar here, as I thought I only knew Babylon. If you know that, you know exactly what to expect from the rest of the album. It’s nice, it’s chill and cosy, but it’s not really something I’d consider to be amazing. I’m just a random dingus online though, so it’s interesting to read what others take from this record!
pleasant on the ears. David Gray's mellow guitar strumming and agreeable singing voice pair pretty nicely with this electronically tinged folk rock sound. I guess I just felt like the overall presentation was too plain for my taste. the loop-based composition process for some of these songs robs them of their momentum, since they often don't feel like they're building towards much. again, the sounds being presented are nice ones, but I find them a little too easy to tune out. this album's success surely paved the way for later "sad sack with an acoustic guitar" guys that would follow in the 21st century, but I think I'd rather stick with Bon Iver, The Tallest Man on Earth, and other such artists that bring a more distinct approach to that archetype. decent 5/10.
Nice enough
Slow and kinda sad. Good sounding overall
Everything sounds vaguely familiar here. I can’t tell if he’s a “musicians’ musician” that has incredible influence etc or if it’s just the late 90s. It’s not at all bad, it’s not amazing, it just *is*. I don’t think I’d add any songs to my regular rotation but I somewhat enjoy most of it.
I was sick with a stomach bug while listening to this, so everything feels a bit hazy. That said, I like this kind of music, and the closer was beautiful. 3.5 stars.
I like the combo of electronic drum beats with the chill piano and guitar. But right as I started listening to the album, I read pretentious-ass’s review. And he reminded me of Damien Rice’s “O,” which came out a bit after this but filled a similar space and vibe. While pretentious-ass prefers David Gray, I much prefer Rice. I think “O” is an incredible album (although man is it earnest), and so I listened to it again, and now I’ve forgotten all about “Babylon.” (Which is for the best - I think Gray’s break-out hit might be my least favorite on the record. I much prefer “This Year’s Love.” But the songs that really stick with me are Rice’s “Volcano,” “The Blower’s Daughter,” and “Cannonball.” Not a lot of albums with three songs that hit like that back-to-back-to-back.)
My friend Jenn was obsessed with that Babylon song and put it on a mixed tape or cd or whatever it was that year and now it always makes me think of her even though I always thought it was ok. So. Like the whole album then.
Liked the single, the rest not as much
totally fine. 2.5
Not a bad album. Paved the way for other male singer/songwriters to wear their hearts on their sleeves in the modern era.
The album we played when having friends around for late evening drinks. A bit bland but associated with some good memories.
The singles off White Ladder are good but I think lifted by the nostalgia of living through them being ubiquitous in the charts, film and television, basically anywhere. When we had Moby's album a little while ago it was kinda the same, this shit was EVERYWHERE and it ends up inextricably linked with our memories. This Year's Love is legit good, Please Forgive Me is nice too, but I don't think it's really outstanding singer-songwriting, and I know I'm making this comparison a) because their names are similar and b) Scrubs used both of their work but I always think of Colin Hay when I hear David Gray, and Colin Hay is just a lot better at this sort of introspective stripped-back acoustic stuff. This is very much a middling piece of work, a high 2 or low 3 effort.
Is this the best dinner party soundtrack in history? Definitely in the conversation. I really like his voice, the songwriting is nice, if a little gentle, and the arrangements work well. 3/5, lacks enough spark to make it a 4 but that's why it's such good background music - memorable without you ever really noticing it.
This was better than I thought it would be. It had some interesting and well put together songs. A good listen. On the 3 side of 3.5.
Lovely album, cohesive, none stood out to me as ones I loved, but all were pleasant
razoavel
Pretty decent, not my first choice.
Feels very generic. It kinda fades into the background. It would go well in a soap opera show where the main character just broke up with their partner and they're driving along the coastline, sad but cheery, hopefule for the future. The camera pans to the sunset, the screen goes dark, David Gray's voice fades out. Hallmark makes a few dozen million dollars. 3/5.
It's ok. There are some nice, brain dead pop moments that are catchy, but it also has this extremely grating sound to it sometimes. It's a very dated late 90s, early 2000s house type of sound that I just hate. So it really balances out. It's also very, very clear that this must've had something to do with the direction of pop 5-15 years down the road.
I've definitely come across "Babylon" at some point, with no prior knowledge of David Gray the artist then. Nice to get some more context for what ended up being his biggest hit here. This album sounds a few years ahead of its time, as I think that this emergence of "folktronica" was fairly new then. Basically add in some electronic & hip-hop rhythms to the already present acoustic sound. After listening, I can definitely see how this album would've inspired some of the singer-songwriter folk & soft rock acts of the early 2000s. It's comfy, but situational for sure. It was fun revisiting "Babylon", but the rest of the album didn't really reach out to me in that kind of way.
This was an ok album, some high and low points.
Fine
Not very interesting. Pleasant enough.
In one of the rare instances on this list of the author(s) being like a broken clock, they get it right with this. David Gray is not for everyone, but the time this album came out combined with his masterful lyric writing combines for a perfect storm of greatness. 3.5/5
I remember a couple of these songs. I found this to be a pleasant listen, and I was surprised he did a Soft Cell cover (Say Hello, Wave Goodbye).
First 2 tracks and last 3 are flawless but this accents the dip in the middle. Was one of 3 CDs that I took to university so it will always hold a special place but listening again showed me why I haven't revised the album in 20 years - a lot more low-fi than I remembered.
There are some good tracks here, the whole thing is well made, it was nearly a 4, but it definitely overstayed its welcome with some real stinkers at the end. What a bring down.
It’s wonderfully pleasant, but I can’t imagine how it’s possibly influential enough to be included on this list.
Please Forgive Me // Babylon // This Year’s Love // Sail Away // 3.5/5
A somewhat mystifying yet decidedly pleasant combination of middle-of-the-road folk-pop with late ‘90s downtempo electronica. Pretty, earnest, heartfelt, and utterly inoffensive, but otherwise without much more to recommend it.