Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Good background folk with some electronic twinges. Doesn't feel super special or groundbreaking.
I've definitely never listened to this whole album. I know Babylon and remember when it was a big hit and maybe I've heard another song or two from this album in passing at some point. It's not bad, I probably wouldn't go too far out of my way to put it on again or explore more of Gray's music but it wouldn't make me change the station on the radio or anything if it came on. It's fine.
I can see how this album paved the way for acclaimed artists nowadays. Favourite track: this year's love
Meh. Wikipedia describes this as Folktronica, I guess I can see that. It's honestly pretty boring, but necessarily bad though.
I like the smooth chillness of the music, but the singer has this Bob Dylan-ish 'eaaaaagh' sound that doesn't work for me. Middle of the pack.
Pretty standard singer/songwriter stuff with some nice drum machine flourishes here and there. The songs are well written, if a little forgettable. Gray clearly has some Bob Dylan influences. Not bad, more of a 3.25/3.5. Favorite tracks: "White Ladder", "We're Not Right", "Nightblindness"
3.5 - Simple, soulful songs that feel emotionally genuine.
Melodic and gentle.
If i heard it in a coffee shop would i mind? No Would i care if i never got to listen to it again? No Was it ok? Yeah. A bit boring.
Nice but not memorable.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Nightblindness, this year’s love, sail away
// Favs: This Year's Love / Sail Away Score: Decent to Strong 3
Not bad better than most of the stuff I’ve heard so far
Nothing special
L'écoute remonte à si longtemps que je vais plutôt baser ma critique sur une photo de David. Coupe à la Vegeta, ça fonctionne assez bien, une plutôt belle gueule dans l'ensemble. Ce sera un trois en ce qui me concerne.
Pretty good. Folk-ish.
I liked Babylon, We're Not Right, Silver Lining, Sail Away, and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye Decent album, though not pushing any boundaries and pretty safe and inoffensive
Folksy reminds me of Bob Dylan. Nice poetry.
Slow, chill, can see why it's liked but not exactly my style.
Ye, some nice pop
This Year's Love é a melhor, tanto que é a mais famosa. Mas é um álbum bem gostosinho de ouvir, ouviria mais vezes.
sans intêret comme le derneir album de chrisdusseld, 3/5 sans conviction
It's alright. All the appeal of folk music with a hint of electronic sound.
1001 is showing off it's dirty diaper British teeth with this one. David actually sounds pretty fresh in 2021 with this electro-folk thing. Not a million miles away from Folklore, and in a few rare spots, In Rainbows. Still squarely nostalgic and 90s at the same time. Takes me back to listening to 103.7 The Mountain in my dad's aquamarine Saturn coupe with a spoiler. If only to have known in those moments that one day I would inherit that sexy car and that all adult contemporary radio stations would cease to exist. This album was consistently enjoyable from start to finish like a grande Starbucks drip coffee with plenty of cream and the NYT Monday crossword on my lap. B
I can definitely imagine low rise girls and pooka she’ll boys really digging this album. I imagine this was legend when it came out. By my count there are 4 great songs on this album. The rest are pretty meh. The digital/synth and acoustic singer songwriter combo is interesting, though I’m not sure if he pulls it off. A lot of the backing tracks sound like very generic 2000 pop and really dated. I almost wonder if he simply went voice/guitar and voice/piano this would be better unaccompanied. But you can’t deny those 4 songs. B, 3
Had a good time listening to this while driving Costco Run around Issaquah with a kayak on my roof. I'm increasingly recognizing that any individualism of my self is purely delusion and my movements through life have already been laid out before me. I am walking the path of "Guy who enjoys listening to White Ladder while driving his midsize pickup truck with a kayak strapped to the top that he bought his wife for her birthday. When he gets home he will change his baby's diapers." What's scarier is I'm coming to accept and embrace what this all means. I just had two hardboiled eggs and half a cup of black coffee for breakfast. Went to the doctor for an annual wellness exam and some bloodwork. I had a minor heart palpitation, so we will be monitoring that. I'm looking forward to the salad I will have for lunch this afternoon. If the weather holds and no clients schedule calls with me, maybe I'll go on a bike ride this afternoon. I will play with my daughter this evening, have a sensible dinner, maybe one glass of wine, and be in bed by 9:30. This is my path; this is my Babylon.
Very soothing. Surprised at how many tracks I recognised. Listened to it twice and enjoyed it. ***
Klinkt wel goed, maar kwartje is nog niet helemaal gevallen.
Toffe plaat. Fijne sfeer. Niks meer, niks minder.
It’s a solid album - there were more than a couple tracks that I enjoyed a lot. I was hoping for a little more energy in it somewhere though
slow to average
Nigdzie poza brytania muzyki sie nie tworzy wedlug listy, wiec kolejny wyspiarski dodatek do kolekcji, tym razem calkowita nowosc, bo nie kojarza pana Graya, rok prawie 2k, bo 1998 a tutaj takie folkowe gransko, po pierwszym rzucie oka na okladne mialem dziwne uczucie, ze gdzies juz to widzialem, okazalo sie ze the who i ich tommy stylistycznie troche przypomina okladke laddera, a co do muzyki to z tego okresu chyba nie slyszalem rownie rownego albumiku folkowego, nie jest to klasyczny folk, bo pojawiaja sie elementy nowoczesnej muyzki, jak chocby mocne wykorzystanie overduba, bo pan Gray samemu ogrywa gitarke, klawisze, pianino jednoczesnie przy czym jeszcze wokaluje, dodatkowe instrumenty, to oczywiscie basior, jakies smyczki, ale czuc, ze jest to albumik robiony przez jednosobowa armie, da sie tego sluchac, ale kontent liryczny potrafi troche znudzic, bo jednak wiekszosc kawalkow to milosne balladowania, na plejke wrzucam babylona i tytulowy white ladder
Sounded nice, but kinda boring idk
Not bad, pretty chill overall but the guy has a big of a Neil Young Voice and the songs are a little long.
3 stars
Folk inglés. Entretenido.
Just a little boring. Sounds nice though
Easy listening folky 90s tunes. I remembered Babylon from movies. Most played song on the album has like 162m listens at the time of writing and it's not even that good. 6/10.
Liked it, calm.
Well produced album with great vocals. I liked several of the songs in it, but I just found it to drag on towards the end due to the many slow songs. Could use a few up tempo numbers to change up the dynamics.
Un bon albom qui ressemble a nos chanteurs kodernes. 3.25
Was ok, not my normal listening pleasure
Rock folk muy melódico. Suave.
Someone could remix this album and probably make a good edm tracks
Slow...
Oh I see what he did here. 90s acoustic singer does electronica. Not horrible.
Pretty chill soft rock, instrumentation leaves something to be desired but his voice is kinda soothing.
pretty chill but not a ton of jams
Good rainy day tunes.
Better than I thought it would be... More like 3.5 stars
I didn't really get it, and after awhile, I decided I didn't care enough to keep trying to get it. It's a guy pouring his heart out into some pedestrian, mediocre songs. At least the effort's there. Best track: This Year's Love
Folk/rock with some interesting production Not really my jam
Good, but kinda boring
Safe middle of the road...
Better than I remember.
I really enjoyed the first song. I wish I had more positive things to say. Well that’s a bit of an exaggeration because I know how to explain why I didn’t connect with this album as a whole. It starts great, super instrumentally interesting song with fast drum machine beats combined with a haunting piano, creates a really original sound (for the time). And I was engaged from that point on, and I didn’t hate Babylon, it was just the start of the problem that never went away. Which is it becomes like so painfully radio friendly that it loses all identity and atmosphere cause it just feels so safe and boring like a real studio lead production. There’s nothing critically wrong with this album, it just doesn’t have that special sauce/seasoning to make it a real bold stand out. I just felt after the first song I got more and more bored as the album went on. For what it’s worth if there’s a single of that opening track I’m gunna find it to add it to my collection.
I remember “Babylon”... and I also remember how much it annoyed me, because it was everywhere! Anyway, these songs have always struck me as nothing more than huge, whiny tunes—the way they stay on the air for so long and how far they spread! I could definitely die without ever hearing this crap again; I’m just fine without it, thanks. I feel like I’m losing my enjoyment of this project; the album generator isn’t managing to surprise me like it used to: have we run out of albums that are really worth listening to before we leave this life?
This sounds like the soundtrack for a romcom from late 90s - early 00s, particularly something like Bridget Jones. This was just boring, the first couple tracks had me thinking this would be a fun listen once it picked up, only for it to not pick up and stay mellow and placid throughout. I am not a fan of his voice, and my biggest pet peeve is when the acoustic guitar is overused, and it is on the verge of abuse here. It's just so dull, clearly this is Ed Sheerans favourite album. Fav Track: Babylon
Definition of mediocre
Pedestrian easy listening. Why is it even on the list?
boring
You take the keys out of the ignition and grab the cellophane wrapped CD from the passenger seat. You turn it over. David Gray, White Ladder. You tap it nervously against your fingers. You know she likes "Babylon", who doesn't, it is all over the radio and the album was released by Dave Matthew's record label, so it ought to be good . Will it set the mood? You get out of the car, and walk up the unfamiliar path to the front door. The key sticks a little as you unlock the front door, and you walk into the foyer, still full of boxes. You put the key back into the pocket of your jean shorts, and kick off your new balances. "Honey? I am home." "In here, unpacking the den." You had already unpacked the stereo, in preparation, and walk over, putting the disc in. You find your wife in the den, going through boxes of books. You do a little shuffle dance over, and she eyes you suspiciously. "The end of summer always makes you goofy," she snorts. "Hey, its just now the beginning of September." "What is this album?" She says going back to the books. "David Gray, the guy who does that Babylon song." "Oh, nice!" "Apparently it just reach no.1 in August. So I thought I'd pick it up." "It's nice" You go over and kiss her ear. "You know, we don't need to unpack ALL the way before we try again." She giggles "oh jeez, this gets you in the mood huh" she snorts. "Just like how you would always put on Crash in the dorms whenever you were getting ready to make a move." "Hey! A guy can try! Besides, its our decade! We just got this house, and in 10 years I am sure it would double. It's early September a year after the elections, and things aren't as bad as they say they were gonna be! I just got that raise and promotion at Enron. It's all coming up!" "Okay. okay" she smiles, "I'll meet you upstairs. Untuck that polo though and ditch the braided belt first." --- An album that marked contemporary adult music for a decade to come. Not my bag of tea.
zzzzzzz
Kinda repetitive.
I struggled to reach the end. So inoffensively pleasant it’s actually offensive. Whoever thought this is one of the 1000 best albums ever is literally insane.
Inoffensive and inconsequential.
I enjoyed aspects - the slightly trip hop vibe - but couldn't get on board with his voice - also random but went to a party last night and pulled out a cd from the shelf and by chance it was this one! What are the odds!
Coworker music
This is riding that line of easy to listen to so much that you almost ignore it. There's some interesting choices. He has a good voice. It knows what it's doing. Not that great.
This is an odd ball. First listen to the song Babylon, I was driving by farmers working in the early morning sun and the song really hit. On a second listen not as much. This music is easy to ignore.
There’s actually some pretty good songwriting on here (especially smash hit “Babylon”) but the production is so weirdly muddy and bad. I’d much rather just put on some Coldplay.
Album #101: White Ladder - David Gray Genre (W): Folktronica Singles: This Year’s Love, Babylon, Please Forgive Me, Sail Away, Say Hello Wave Goodbye I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: It sounds nice, the production is sleek. But overall, this is a very boring album, it all just sounds too safe and bland to be anything noteworthy. A very dull album. Favorite songs: Babylon, This Year’s Love
Haven't heard of this guy in my entire life, genuinely surprised to see the number of streams on the songs here. Discovering this album didn't improve my life in any way though. David's voice is pretty annoying and so is the music at times. 90s nothingburger 2/5
Very sure of its concept - that concept is being vapid guitar driven wine music. Aside from the nostalgia reasons, I don’t think I’d ever be like “oh man, could you chuck on a bit of David Gray? That just gets me going!”
Never listened to this though it was ubiquitous in my youth! Think I assumed it'd be boring. First 20 seconds, thought I was going to really enjoy it but then quickly realised DG is the man who Ed Sheeran could've been. Or vice versa. Actually, that's unfair.... Much more interesting than ES. Perfectly fine and, perhaps, even actively "good" if in the right headspace. Sonically, very much of its time. Almost simplistic / DIY sounding.
2 out of 5. Sad music but decent production.
Starbucks ass album
It's alright, but if you've heard one, you've heard them all. It's a good song, but he does it too many times with different lyrics. Nowt spesh.
I guess it’s well done? I found it boring and a little pretentious.
Not awful, not memorable.
Here I thought this was the guy from Simply Red (Mick H.) gone solo. For crying out loud, indeed. I gave a good effort to listen through this record, but some kind of aesthetic allergy set in and irritated me over the top. Of course, the mostly acoustic instruments and arrangements were nice, but the signer's self-assured, inane, garish sunshine was insufferably off-putting, for some reason. In any case, cheers to everyone else who is into this unholy alliance with Dave Matthews and his ilk.
I didn’t know what I was getting into here. The album was fine. Some songs I did enjoy. I don’t know if I like his voice. I noticed Apple Music gave him song credit for Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
Loved this at the time. It’s just a load of nothing now. Singles are still good though
fav songs: please forgive me whiny, repetitive, forgettable 30/100
It’s been a while since I’ve heard this. It brought back some memories, not my favorite, but definitely some songs I remember from years ago like Babylon etc…
No standouts
Babylon was as bit hit when it came out and is a nice enough song. The opening track showed some potential but it all ended up too safe and boring.
easy listening, aber eher schon zu schmalzig.
Honestly, I think this album would be more effective as instrumental music. I did not love the singer's voice. I enjoyed the track My Oh My and most of them on the 1st half of the album. Nothing specifically caught my attention and not something I would seek out again. Overall, its not bad, but not good either. Tbh, would be fire to study to though!
All the songs sound generally the same. Same tempo, same background percussion track, etc. Nothing offensive about this album, nothing of note, easy guitar included listening lull you into a torpor and bury you in the mundane.
Booooring
Rode the line between decent songwriter stuff and meh songwriter stuff. 2.5 but I’ll round down.
I thought his voice sounded familiar, then it got to “Babylon” and my time working in a grocery store caught up to me. I quickly realized how many hits this guy had, too. Friendly folk rock for the public, all, if I may. There’s something quintessentially 90s singer-songwriter that’s bottled here. I personally think it’s pretty dated and wasn’t impressed, but maybe this sounded fresh and breezy at the time. It’s not that it grated on me. It just moved me not at all.
The classic album to put on as background music during dinner. Inoffensive, unobtrusive and bland
Very guy with a guitar at the party, but this time he’s got a synth and drum machine. First two songs were promising but the rest proved to be forgettable at best, grating at worst.
Not bad, but kinda bland. Babylon was a good song, but nothing else here was that memorable.
Kinda boring
this album makes me feel like I should be crying in the rain in some rom-com. Idk how to feel about that.
Poor man's Dave Matthews?
I read this guys bio on Spotify and it says Adele and Ed Sheerhan credit him as an influence. So it makes sense that I didn’t like this. I don’t hate it, it’s just not anything special to me. It sounds like drug store music. It’s dull and overproduced.
Δυστηχώς αυτό το άλμπουμ μου φάνηκε ελαρφώς αργό για τα γούστα μου. Δεν είναι ότι δεν μου άρεσαν τα κομμάτια, αλλά το να το ακούς όλο συνεχόμενα (1 ώρα) είναι λίγο δύσκολο. Επίσης σε κάποια σημεία μου θύμισε ελαφρώς Pearl Jam. Please Forgive Me
Bland and safe sound, nothing offensive.
Gray indeed. Meh.
right so not for me. i have to agree with all the other reviews saying its sad girl staring out of window in a rom com music. not fun, not great, maybe just boring idk
I'm sure this album goes nuts for Ed Sheeran fans/coworkers
Completely fine but very dull
The sound of your mum and dad cleaning the house on a Saturday morning - a day wrecked before it even begins. That said, not unpleasant.
Not a big fan of this in-the-feels white-boy singer-songwriter type of music, but I can see why everybodys mum will fuck with something like this. Really is background music for looking out the train-window on a rainy day.
Pretty generic and boring. Reminds me of James Blunt, Coldplay, etc.
I once read an article about artists whose sales had fallen off a cliff. It included an interview with David Gray, and he came across as very philosophical and honest about White Ladder being his commercial peak. So, while I don’t quite understand why this slightly dull album had people in such a chokehold, I genuinely hope Gray is still raking in the cash from it and generally living his best life.
babylon was inescapable for like a three year period when this was released, despite nobody liking it. i guess that's where the ed sheeran comparisons come in. points docked for a godawful cover of a great soft cell song.
The hits are excellent, of course, but the rest is a bit much of a muchness.
I suppose, technically, some of these songs have stood the test of time, in the sense that you still hear them now and again - Babylon, This Year's Love and Sail Away seem to pop up regularly on coffee shop playlists and at open mic nights. Unfortunately, I suspect this is because they're inoffensive, "lowest common denominator" songs that aren't likely to annoy anyone or make you start moshing inappropriately. The songs are okay, but not exciting. I find his singing style a bit annoying - why sing "beyck agin" when you come from Cheshire?* I'm glad he recognises that Say Hello Wave Goodbye is an absolutely fantastic song, but I wish he'd left it well alone, instead of turning it into a bland acoustic imitation of a Van Morrison song. I'm sorry but a star has been removed for that crime. *oh! He's trying to be Van Morrison. I can't believe it took me until the last song to figure that out.
Dull then. Dull now
It's not as awful to give this album 1/5, but it's boring record and the production annoys me very much. 3/10
Just okay
A nope from me! The vocals are just too whiny-sounding for me. It's pretty much all downhill starting from the only good track "Please Forgive Me." I hate to say it but to me it just sounds like a bunch of Britpop slop to me. Definitely not a fan of this, nor do I think this could be saved by another listen. Highlight Song/s: "Please Forgive Me"
Bleurgh
This album is completely average.
2/5. The word of the day is “unremarkable.” Nothing on this album stands out to me whatsoever. Instrumentally it’s passable but uninteresting indietronica, and the lyrics/vocal performances are not good enough to cover for the boring instrumentation. I could imagine some of the songs from this playing in the background of a montage in some crappy straight-to-streaming film.
Przeleciało, nie zwróciło to mojej uwagi
no fue mi estilo, canciones muy lentas
I liked one song enough to save it to my library and the rest of this album was just noise to me, I’m sorry to say.
It's kind of like an older and whiter Mike Doughty, who I adore. This not so much. It's tolerable.
I can’t believe this album baited me into thinking it was going to be great with Please Forgive Me. Man, it REALLY lost momentum after that and Babylon and petered out by like the fourth or fifth song. His voice and style reminded me a lot of Bob Dylan, if Bob Dylan didn’t do the weird inflections in his voice so often.
It starts out as a delightfully chill listen, but David Gray gradually ditches the cool instrumentals in favour of a very bland acoustic sound. It seems the white ladder just leads to Ed Sheeran. Standouts: Please Forgive Me • Nightblindness
Eh, not really memorable imo but not offensive. Very American (derogative).
Inoffensive but not very exciting. I don’t mind listening to it, but I would never do so by choice.
Okay
Congratulations Babylon for making it on the Guantanamo Greatest Hits! Why does a singer/songwriter need a 9 minute cover song to finish the album?
Some good songs but overall mediocre.
It really isn't good. BUT I have that weird nostalgia thing for it, because my parents had it on repeat when we went on holiday once, so it really sunk in. It's objectively a bad album but I have a weird fondness for it.
It's fairly corny stuff but I do like Babylon. After that, the vocals get a little nasally and whiny for my tastes. The mostly slow, folk-rock kind of tunes aren't offensive but nothing much is forcing me to sit up and take notice. The drums and keyboards make this a bit more interesting; some of the instrumental passages are the best parts. I'm trying to figure out how to describe the vocals, and why I dislike them so much, but it brings to mind the worst kind of soft rock bands. The cover of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is pretty good though. It looks like this album was huge in the UK and Ireland - maybe you had to be there? ** for Babylon and SHWG.
It was nice to listen to while journaling
Not terrible, but very bland. The type of music I would expect in the waiting room of a dentists office.
Boring. 2/5
This is… not great. As bland and generic as the man’s name. It’s astonishing that this was so massive
Top Songs: Please Forgive Me Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
At times, it sounds like a mix between Elton John and Bob Dylan. How’s that possible? The track Babylon is definitely the highlight and doesn’t fit that description somehow. 2.3/5.0
The perfect album for my break up day hehe
how do you rate an album where the second song is one of the best songs ever made and the rest are a load of shite
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
Snårk
I actually enjoyed the radio friendly tracks. The kinda album best enjoyed at low volume while driving. Way too long tho and the deep cuts aren't rewarding. If it were ten mins shorter I'd give it three stars. As for its inclusion on this list, I can tell you as someone who lived through this period of pop music, David Gray, particularly "Babylon," was ubiquitous. It's an accurate snapshot of its era. For better or worse.
it was okay ig
Pretty low-key stuff. I suppose this was the beginning of the 2000's singer-songwriter movement for men but I really need a little more stuff going on in the songs. It's not nostalgic for me and I found it to be pretty boring and forgettable. Rom-com music for sure, it obviously has floated a lot of boats (based on its commercial success) but not mine. If I didn't know that it was influential for the time I don't think I'd ever remember that I had listened to it unfortunately.
If ever an album perfectly encapsulated the turn of the millennia, this is it.
sounds like greys anatomy
Alice Cooper very extravagantness ideas come to musicality in this album. Just was not my cup of ☕️
Coffee shop slop
Met dit album werd mijn treinrit wel een erg lange zit. Man, wat een saai album. Als vroeger dat hitje Babylon op de radio voorbijkwam schakelde ik om algehele futloosheid te voorkomen al over op een willekeurige cd. Blijkt nu dat dat het meest enerverende van zijn album is.
I didn't hate it, just didn't feel standout enough.
Not sure about this one. Never heard of him. His voice was fine, the songs were fine. I think I'd be ok if I had continued to never hear of him.
Certainly living up to his namesake. That was appropriately very Grey and Beige. For a second there I thought I was walking through a supermarket. It was not unpleasant, but it was pretty dull and boring and not quite a 3. So 2.5 stars
Dette gjør ingenting for meg. Høres kompetent satt sammen ut, men aner ikke hvorfor jeg hører på det.
Meh, ble bare bakgrunnsmusikk som ikke ga meg altfor mye. 2/5
Boring.
This album is a bit of a puzzle to me. A friend gave me this on CD when it first came out, touting it as a new big thing. And I listened to it quite a lot, which even in the context of that moment is a surprise because this is decidedly NOT my preferred type of music. Not even close. But in the moment we really enjoyed listening to this. I probably have not listened to it since 2000, and listening to it again all these years later I find myself wondering why we all liked this album so much. The music is pleasant, but fairly basic and repetitive within each song. His voice is not very good at all. Lyrics are pretty good - but also fairly emotionally repetitive. For whatever reason it captured our attention and feelings back in 1998. In fact, it sounds fairly generic - like the sound of late 90s/early 2000s. I'll have to chalk this up to it happening at the right place and right time and people enjoying the shared love of something new. For me, it didn't age well at all however, leaving me bemused by our having collectively made this a smash hit at the turn of the century. There was nothing wrong with that, and sometimes you just have to look back and cringe (which I say with a smile).
Late 90s singer songwriter stuff. It's pleasant enough as background music but not much more for me I'm afraid. Acoustic guitars with some light electronics.
That was some of the most mid white people music
Dave Matthew’s lite and initially don’t like Dave. Songs were bleh, singing bleh, instruments bleh
Nice, easy listening but idk if it's for me
The first song felt like Moby a bit. The second had me feeling good. The last few were more like Elton John and Bob Dylan. Didn’t expect this album to be like this but I enjoyed it! 2.5 in my heart
It has aged a bit and his voice is not that good so not very good overall. Some catchy things but not my style. 2.5/5
The drum machines and other instrumentation lack coherence. 2/5
I completely missed out on this in the early 2000s, probably because it didn't fit my musical preferences during my wild party time, but listening to it 26 years later, I didn't miss much. It's a bland, boring record, and I can see how this led to Coldplay, James Blunt, Ed Sheeran, and the likes, which is not a compliment. I just didn't hate it as much as I did my 1-star ratings - it's like muzak. You don't hear it until you start listening, so therefore, 2/5.
It’s fine. It’s the white bread of background music.
I'm sure someone gave me a tape of this at the time and I quite liked it. Hadn't played it for many years though, and on this listen.... Well. He started of sounding like Bob Dylan, and didn't improve from there. Can only be a very low 2.
While there is nothing wrong with David Grey. He, along with similar artists like James Blunt and James Bay are just beige, boring listens. I would not chose to listen to any of their albums unless I had severe insomnia. Admittedly Babylon is a good track, but what was he thinking with that Soft Cell cover? That made me sit up rather than nod off, but for the wrong intended reason. Competent but bland.
So boring. What is influential about this?
music to battle insomnia
The singing ranged from average to above-average between songs, without really having any emotion. The production really carried this project.
It sounded like it had a commercial Bob Dylan feel and a stepping stone towards Ed Sheeran. The singles were nice but the rest didn't do it for me.
David Grey - Not for me, bland. There are some nice moments but then he keeps singing 2
Eh. Extremely unforgettable for me.
Good for what it is. I remember seeing him play some of these songs live on TV in his heyday with a real band and they came across so much better. I didn’t really connect with it though. Some great songs that didn’t seem to really benefit from the addition of electronics. Made it all sound like it was perhaps trying too hard to be “current”, when they would have been better off being performed more organically. Not essential to hear.
137 Escribo esto mientras escucho canción genérica de principios de los 2000 que debe haber salido en alguna teleserie de alguna parte. Ni idea de por qué esto está en esta lista.
Oh.. That Babylon song. Now i remember this guy.
4/10 Top track: Babylon I've warmed to his voice over the years, a consistent album just not all to my tastes.
i'm 11 years old and i've stolen my mum's copy of Bridget Jones's Diary to read in secret under my bed covers. i'm writing stories in a Groovy Chick notebook with a honeysuckle-scented gel pen. i'm going on a school trip to the Millennium Dome (RIP) and i'm doing my SATS and i'm excited about secondary school (little did i know the horrors that awaited me). that's what this album reminds me of. i'm not a David Gray hater and it was nice to revisit the singles on this but mostly it was just so blah... there was just something lacking all the way through it. interesting songwriting, probably.
This is what happens when you order Neil Young on Temu. It's not necessarily awful, it might even work fine for a couple of days, but it's still a cheap and unoriginal copy. I'll be generous and add a star because it was just bland and inoffensive enough to listen without effort while crawling out of my jet lag induced coma. 3/10
Pretty milquetoast. Good lyricism, but pretty cliche choice of topics and didn’t really express anything new. Musically it was pretty bland.
Unnecessary
I liked how some of the songs were sorta bit-crushed like a bad Likewire download, gave the album a unique vibe. Beyond that, it’s all boring as sin.
There were a couple of songs that were memorable enough to save but it was largely forgettable. Rating: 1.7
I think the album is okay. Not that special. Pretty much the same vibe for every song, doesn't really feel like an album. The consistent guitar riffs, the same drums etc. Not the best album in the pop-rock genre for me. 2 stars.
Based on this guys promo photos, I’m not going to like it. Let’s delve in. Not big on the vocals I’m getting the feeling that this is soft rock with a techno beat. This album better not have made it on this list based off of one song. I mean, it makes the album listenable but compared to other one song powerhouses, this is the Green Day of talent. Did I say the vocals are really lacking on this album? The music is serviceable. Nice bass on We’re Not Right” The album is filled with Lilith Fair sounding guitar playing. Like that hear me roar women’s movement that came out briefly. You know what I mean? They all played that similar guitar sound that we hear on this album. Silver Lining could have been an Alanis song. Maybe it was. Listen, if I’m supposed to pull some positive out of this album, I did my best. I think if a woman had sung these songs they would have packed more of a punch. It’s just a low end early 2000’s album to me. I don’t even know if it came out them. This guy is lucky enough that I at least knew his name. Choice cut: Babylon
I really want to give this lower, but in order to try and have some form of balance where music that has possibly lessened the cultural heritage of the human race deserves a 1, I can’t quite do it to this album because it is just very boring and inoffensive, rather than being an active stain on the musical landscape. Rubbish lyrics, forgettable vocal delivery, odd choice of supporting instruments (is that an 808 on ‘we’re not right’?!) but overall just becomes a bland soup.
David Gray made an album for middle-aged white people who think John Mayer rocks too hard, buy scented candles called Calm Breeze, and order their curries mild because “spice upsets their tummy.”
Didn't like this when it came out. Was a better listen then I was expecting, but its still not great.
Illuminate by Orbital is peak David Gray for me.
Over produced, shoe gazing, sad
Generalno dosta dosadno, nije najgore što sam čula. Okej pozadinska glazba dok kiseliš kupus za zimnicu s unucima. Babylon znam otprije, ok stvar. 2/5,3/10
If I weren't alive to hear the male singer-songwriter craze at the turn of the century, I would think that David Gray was remarkable and made interesting music. Unfortunately for Mr. Gray, I was. None of this was particularly innovative. At least White Ladder is easy enough to listen to, mostly; Gray uses folk that makes it pop-like and accessible.
This is another one that I don’t really feel belongs on the list, and the final track being 9 minutes long is a bit excessive. The only highlight for me was hearing the chorus to Babylon and thinking, “ Oh yeah, I remember hearing this all the time when I was eight.”
Music so inoffensive you’d think you’d been put on hold by a call centre.
nothing crazy at all. Definitely 2 stars at the most.
I’m found myself wanting to skip songs. Some were good but dragged on and the singer got annoying. Very meh
Seemed very predicable and one note.
Non fa schifo, ma lo trovo un po' generico.
On Apple Music, this was categorized as “Rock”. Nope, pop at best. Pretty bland all around, and even Babylon isn’t one of those one hit wonder songs I need to hear very often, if ever again.
I was halfway through the first song thinking, "damn, this sounds like the Babylon guy" LOL This was pretty good, nothing to be mad at. "Babylon" was the best song here but there were other good ones. Nothing I feel compelled to revisit though.
Babylon was a lovely hit single. Actually several of the tracks are very pretty. But on the whole this album is so so so boring.
Felt like I was sitting in the doctors office
Uugh! I did not need to be reminded of this genre of music. Thing is, these are pretty good songs, and he has an appealing voice. And the production style is fine . . . for a song or two. It absolutely does not sustain for an entire album. By the end of the third song in a row of this stuff, I've had it. I'm out. Sitting in a coffee shop and watching David Gray play these songs by himself on an acoustic guitar would probably be fantastic, but as presented, I can't go higher than a . . .
Good Christ. Two songs in and time has slowed to a crawl. Sitting here on the plane, reading a book, and I feel like I've been listening to this for hours. WTF. Weird enunciation on "So definite." Yeah, no thanks.
Maybe should have given this 3, but it caught me in a mood in which I found it offensively boring.
2/5 - Babylon exists outside of time for me. It makes me nostalgic for something even though I associate it with nothing and have no idea when I first heard it. The first track was also pretty good. And that was about it. This is music that makes me feel 15 years older than I am, and I completely tune out after a couple songs because it’s all so milquetoast-y. To be fair, if I could sing and write like this guy, or knew someone personally who could, I’d be thrilled, but I’m not down for a whole album of this. I need more dynamics or something.
I'm not a fan of the cheesy electronic beats. It's like he recorded these songs acoustically, which would've been fine, but then some weak producer added in the electronic bits afterward, and ruined it for me. It's very MOR. The Say Hello, Wave Goodbye cover is a pretty good take...at least until the end of the first chorus when the drum machine kicks in.
I feel nothing from this album.
This one was a bit of a grind... I remember this album when it came out and found David Gray's voice interesting but the music... uninteresting... That has stayed true during the past 30 years...
in what world did this album need a 9 minute song? certainly not this one
Nope, Dave Mathew’s vibes
this sounded like something you would hear at a starbucks. fake and inauthentic. this was not for me.
Started off ok but got too boring pretty quick.
Some parts of this were quite pleasant to listen to, in a kind of disengaged manner. However most of it is just boring. It's all a bit sad-sack, but the music behind it isn't anywhere near good enough to elevate it to something meaningful. It's all just a bit plain and generic in every sense. I've rated worse albums higher than this, usually because they actually aspire to something or try something interesting, but this is so uninspiring that it deserves to be rated lower. 2.5 rounded down.
This one didn't hit it for me...
boring af
Great to listen to again. It's been a while. Although most songs are a bit repetitive. It does get boring quickly.
This was super popular almost thirty years ago when I was too young to pay attention to it. However, I didn’t really miss out on anything. It’s just…there. I recognise a few songs but they don’t stir anything.
I was too cool for this when it came out and still am today. A couple of the hits are a guilty pleasure if they come on but on a whole would not play the album again.
++: Silver Lining, White Ladder +: Please Forgive Me, Babylon, My Oh My, We're Not Right, Sail Away +-: This Year's Love -: Nightblindness, Say Hello Wave Goodbye 5,2/10
Perfect name for a guy with a forgettable album
I vaguely recall Babylon from my high school days. It definitely did not make it onto any of the mix CDs I burned (in between all the burn errors). Why is this on the list? So generic. So meh. I'm seeing a number of reviews that mention driving to this one, which I cannot grasp. I would fall asleep at the wheel. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A
**
422/1001
Meh
fairly good representation of 1998
Meh
Bland, inoffensive, boring, plodding.
So boring and repetitive. Babylon is probably the strongest track but the rest of the record sounds just like it. 2
Folk singer on speed.
Boring
I just hate this so much. It's probably technically a good album but I HATE IT. This years love is really good though, so 1.5?
Wait, do I have to learn English to enjoy music now?
You couldn’t escape Babylon in the late 90s so I didn’t come into this expecting much and I didn’t find much either. Inoffensive sound and fine but nothing memorable or great here. Production is good but I just felt so bored.
Totally pleasant. I remember Babylon... nice song. Problem is the whole album sounds just like it.
This was largely forgettable.
Soooooooooooooo booooooooooooooooring, gave up by track 7
Meh
Eh. Couple of classics but monotonous. 2/5
Know the song “Babylon” but other than that…
Favourite wobbly head singer 1) Thom Yorke 2) David Gray
Found this a tough listen...lots of sentiment, yet also strangely devoid of emotion.
This is music for: a) Richard Curtis movies b) Turn of the millenium dinner parties c) Heartbroken, drunken chavs to sing loudly in the early morning hours while walking in an alley between terraced houses and a railway d) All of the above. Best Tracks: Please Forgive Me; Babylon; This Year's Love
David Gray trousers 2/5
Very singer-songwriter focused with touches of breakbeat on certain tracks.
Bland 90's singer-songwriter stuff, just incredibly dull.
Really boring. The music didn’t add anything to his voice and every song was sung the same way. Some catchy songs though. Will never listen to this again on purpose.
Listened to before: No I think I knew the name before, but not what sound Gray made. The hype must have passed me by, at it's time. With the first track Please Forgive Me, I got interested. Minimal piano chords and a nice breakbeat make a fine introduction into a very good song - A highlight. But after that it goes downhill for me. The further Gray moves away from gentle electronica into acoustic soft rock the less interestet I get. And that is not because I don't like acoustic sound. There just does not seem anything to be there that catches me. I enjoy Grays voice at some points, but often he moves towards a Dyland impression - At these time I can't stand his voice. I know it is easy to hate on this kind of music. I don't want to do that: It has it's purpose and I find it listenable enough to sympathise with it. But I wob't play it on repeat, as it does not touch me. And if it does not touch me, there is nothing much left in this kind of music.
Ни о чём. Такого пруд пруди
Babylon is good. Maybe one or two other songs that had their moments but overall this was pretty forgettable to me.
I might forgive you one of these days, David
Have you ever wanted a singer/songwriter to set his lyrics over drum loops and randomly pick which audio quality he's going to output his master at? If so, this is the album for you!
Reminds me very much of Paul Simon’s music and phrasing combined with Rodriguez’s voice, song styling, and music - in both good and bad ways. I “liked” two songs. Which is about the same as Simon and Rodriguez. Both of whom I find slightly overrated musically, although Rodriguez’s story is incredibly interesting.
Very boring 90s pop.
Boring album, nothing remarkable.
This was cool but at some point it all started sounding the same to me. A bit generic and bland.
Not outstanding but I enjoyed his voice, no real complaints but I wasn't over the moon about anything on it. Some good lyrics but doesn't raise itself into the territory of really making an impact for me
Idk this was ok but like never gonna listen again. Very middle of the road but slightly less than average I suppose. 4/10 Favorite track - babylon
fuck is this cover art lol
Singles are okay but this is one long inoffensive dirge
I hadn’t revisited White Ladder in years. When it first came out, the hype was massive—and honestly, I never quite understood it. I always felt it had some nice moments but was overall a pretty average album. Listening to it again two decades later, my opinion hasn’t really changed. One thing that did stand out this time around was how much “Nightblindness” reminded me of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes”—both in mood and melody. There are some genuinely solid tracks here, like “Babylon” and “My Oh My,” but the album suffers from a lack of variety. The songs blend into one another, creating a repetitive, almost monotonous listening experience. Favourite track: “Babylon” – still a great tune. Least favourite: “We’re Not Right” – just feels flat and uninspired. Album artwork: A cool and distinctive cover that holds up well.
Bland, boring, inessential. Not uncatchy, but way too samey to stand out in any way.
Forgettable. Not my thing. I didn’t like it.
Folktronica is a genre that doesn’t need to exist. This album sounds like the background music I’d be irritated to hear at a Cheesecake Factory. Still, blandly inoffensive. Would never revisit.
I guess nice enough, but not really my thing, and the drums date it badly. Favourite tracks: Please Forgive Me, Sail Away.
This is just too bland for me. Not sure who seeks this out. So uninteresting
please forgive me- 4 babylon- 4 my oh my- 4 we're not right- 3 or 4 nightblindness- 3 silver lining- 3 or 4. it slowly got better but not great white ladder- 4 this years love- 2 or 3 sail away- 3 say hello wave goodbye- 3
The line on the album art is a graph of my enjoyment of this album over time. Favorite track: idk, probably "Babylon"
Zzzzz
Please Forgive Me Babylon My Oh My We're Not Right Night blindness Silver Lining White Ladder This Year's Love Sail Away Say Hello, Wave
Very nice, easy rock, good lyrics... just finished it and for the life of me can't remember a single tune.
Muzika koja priziva kišu (ne na dobar način). Muzika koje se ne sjećaš dok traje. Muzika koja nema nikakvog efekta koliko je sumorna.
Boring and completely forgettable adult contemporary schlock.
Meh
A few elements I liked on this but it was nothing more than background music mostly. I didn't hate it but I don't think I'll be back. 4/10
I guess that some of these songs were among the first “hits” I ever properly clocked. Songs like “Babylon” and “This year’s love” were, at the turn of the millennium, absolutely massive. They kicked off a rude run of form for the perma-troubled troubadour, one that hasn’t really ever concluded (what is a Benson Boone if not, ultimately, just a sexier shade of Gray?). And yet the story of White Ladder – a self-produced effort by a young artist that didn’t much bother listeners first time around, but found a global audience (including, at one point, 1 in 4 Irish households) upon rerelease 18 months later – is, for better or worse, more interesting than the record itself. Take the hits away – songs which themselves excel at giving precious little more away than one or two charming melodies – and you’ve not a whole lot to shout about. I struggle to believe this wasn’t always drab; tales of heartache delivered by a particularly heavy raincloud. And it strikes me that to happen upon White Ladder, you first need to subtract something (The Smiths without the energy; Magnetic Fields without the magnetism; U2 without the spine). None of that is necessarily criticism, of course. Certainly, the sparseness of this album creates space for some punishingly bleak atmospherics. But it is a shame that one of the defining albums of that time feels like it’s lacking much by way of definition.
grocery store music
Nice but mid. Nothing really stood out to me, besides what I assume is theremin on We’re Not Right. Nightblindness was probably the track I liked most. But I think I’ve forgotten this entire album already.
don’t care
I didn't notice the music was playing
Acoustic pseudo break beat Britt emo pop rock. Yawn if you hadn’t heard it maybe it would matter. However, living through this I have no tolerance for it maybe you like his voice?
This album didn’t age well for me. I remember loving it when it came out, but listening to it again it was so meh I really don’t have any other words for it and so I won’t say any other words
All the songs sounded the same.
Man, very surprised to see this on here. I kind of get why a couple of the tracks were popular to the point of ubiquity at one point in time, but it's all so dreary, monotone and mid, and a very unlikely choice. 1.5
There was so much potential here, with hiw talented this guy clearly is, and his voice has so much passion end emotion in it, as well as the fact that he is clearly a fantastic songwriter. But the absolutely awful and sloppy production for pretty much the entire album drags it down so much. It sounds like it was all recorded and mixed in a day with technology from the 1700s.
Couple of good songs, but for the most part pretty dull
Meh
Coupla decent songs on this album but not really my thing.
It's a truism that period pieces sell a lot of records. This one sold mucho and periodized a piece. The more Gray belts, the more generic the music; the more powerful, the more insignificant. He can sing, but he can't be for real: 'Seems these days I don't feel anything / 'Less it cuts me right to the bone.' This isn't soul-baring, it's barely soulful - and proof that if it's big in England, it may be a big flop elsewhere. To make it worse, the songs are twice the length they ought to be. 'I put my heart in your hand' - and I've given it right back. No thanks!
proto lorde music
The opening track and Babylon are vaguely familiar, I think I remember hearing it when I was really young. I wonder if my mum used to play this in the car. The chorus on the latter is decent A lot of elements sound incredibly dated, like the drum machines. Strip it back and it's a pretty basic singer-songwriter album, as it is, it's a fairly dated 90s poppy rock album. I actually thought it did get a bit better in the second half, Silver Lining and White Ladder stood out to me. I see this was quite a big hit when it came out, but it's been largely forgotten so I don't know if it's really worthy of being on the list. It's just fine. Much if it comes across as sad background music that plays during the Misunderstanding in a romcom 2.5 Highlights: Babylon, Silver Lining
How does bland slop like this become popular? I guess I could extend this question to Ed Sheeran.
chilling and wibing hieman hmmm melankolinen vika biisi hyvä cover kai...
Gonna be honest, don't really see why this album belongs on this list. It feels incredibly derivative and just bored me to tears. Reading on Wikipedia, it says it's pretty influtial to artists like James Blunt, Ed Sheeran, etc., but I wouldn't put any of them on this list either, so I don't really get it. Maybe it's a situation of the "original" feeling passe because everyone today does it now, but like I said, it feels incredibly derivative (Singing is like Bob Dylan, but not in a good way, a lot of the songs sound like folk music I've heard that was made prior to this album). Yeah, just a very forgettable, boring album to me.
Babylon is a jam
Nothing special
Pleasant music and tasteful use of electronics in a folky context when its on, but outside of that? It's just kinda there, I feel like it worked better as wallpaper than really something I'm invested in.
This sounds like the soundtrack of any CW-esque teen drama show.