“The challenge is to reinvent your music, keep yourself interested, and keep yourself moving forward- to keep it about the right stuff rather than be swamped by money and attention. It means you focus on what’s important. Music is far more enjoyable than those things.”
                                 – David Gray

David Gray is a singer/songwriter born in Manchester, England. A New Day at Midnight becomes his sixth release since he started ten years ago in 1992. Early in his career, he enjoyed great success overseas in Europe, but was unable to acquire the adoration of Americans. That changed with his 1998 release White Ladder. Spurred on by the huge mega-hit Babylon, Gray reached super media heights here in the States.

With that, many people unknowingly consider this to be his sophomore album, while he really has six in the bag now. Either way, it doesn’t matter since there is no slump whatsoever here. This album should only help solidify his status as one of the top singer/songwriters of this new generation. A New Day at Midnight doesn’t stray too far from the formula that launched him in White Ladder.

The first release off of the album is the closing track The Other Side, which is a tough first choice to throw at radio listeners. This song winds down the CD, as a whole, better than acting as the single-release choice to draw listeners in to buy this collection of work. A better choice of songs, that could have been released first, would have been Real Love, Be Mine, or Easy Way to Cry. These are the three charms of this album that will instantly draw the listener in. Lyrically, Be Mine will have all the women melting and swooning inside his words, as it is a very wonderfully written song.

A light, yet deep, bunch of songs, Gray throws nice seasonings into this set. Going from fun sounding upbeat fare in Long Distance Call and Caroline to more melancholy moods with Freedom and Last Boat to America.

Overall, nothing real earth shattering, but A New Day at Midnight is a nice honest easy listening album that White Ladder fans will no doubt enjoy. Many more hits than misses throughout the work. If nothing else, those three gems in Be Mine, Easy Way to Cry and Real Love are reason enough to throw some cash at the album and get a nice taste of what David Gray is all about. That and a chance to take in one of the best voices around. A very solid 3 and a Half Planets is well deserved.

Track Listing:
1. Dead in the Water
2. Caroline
3. Long Distance Call
4. Freedom
5. Kangaroo
6. Last Boat to America
7. Real Love
8. Knowhere
9. December
10. Be Mine
11. Easy Way to Cry
12. The Other Side

Shamples Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Planets


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