Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Even better than I'd hoped
I've been a David Grey fan for a couple of years now, and was pleased that he had a new album coming out. After seeing him live in a small club (I've never seen an audience cheer so hard for an encore), I knew I had to have the new album.I was a bit put off at first by the techno beats he'd been using on the songs I'd heard before buying it; Mr. Gray has always been very straight-forward in his musical stylings -- nothing artificial or contrived. But that fear faded at once when I got the album in the CD player. Start to finish, this is easily up to par with his previous three albums -- maybe even better, which is saying a lot. The music is smooth, atmospheric, and heartfelt. The electronic portions fade right in; they're used as an effective tool, rather than simply to make the music seem trendily cool. It's been a long time since I latched onto an album this quickly. If you've heard anything at all by Mr. Gray and liked it, get this album. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:  - White ladder to the top ....
Mixing techno funk beats with traditional folk guitar, Britain-based David Gray delivers an album with soulful lyrics to drive to, to cry to, to keep in the background. Without fail, a CD that emotes personal and vulnerable song writing set against the backdrop of clever melodies. Gray's voice is reminiscent of Bob Dylan, but it's his modern-day twist of synthesized beats that separates him from just another guitar strumming raconteur. Selections like "Babylon", "Sail Away", and "This Year's Love" are reflective of Gray's great poetry. Though the album as a whole proves to be seamless, some tunes stand indistinguishably similar to the next, providing a rather even, presumably repetitive at times, set. However,if you're looking for a mellow Sunday morning album, this is it.
Rating: - I'm Hooked
As embarrassed as I am to admit this, the first time I heard David Gray was on Dawson's Creek. The song "This Year's Love" was highlighted on an episode and from the second I heard it, I needed to hear more from David Gray. Lucky for me, "White Ladder" had so much more to offer than one great love song. It's easy to understand why Gray has been compared to Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. The spectacular "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" feels like it could fit right in on Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks," and the song brilliantly unfolds into a tribute to Van before you even realize what's happening. Although it's evident that Gray is strongly influenced by the two singer/songwriters, his style is all his own, this evident on two of my personal favorites: "My oh My" and "We're Not Right." Gray easily mixes the electronic and acoustic and makes the two stylings come together to form a solid album. His lyrics are poignant and his melodies distinct. There are no standout 'hits' and a whole bunch of 'misses' in between--every song is listen-worthy. The only thing that kept me from giving "White Ladder" 5 stars is the fact that "Babylon" is on the cd twice. I generally have a problem with the same song taking up 2 tracks on a cd, unless they are drastically different versions. In this case, the 2 versions are too similar and I would have loved to hear a completely different song in one of the "Babylon" spots. I'm sure it would have been just as amazing as the rest of the cd.
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