Life in Slow Motion (20th Anniversary Edition)

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