Fans greet Gray's new tunes as
if they
were old favorites
David Gray/Micah P. Hinson
Avalon,
by Marc Hirsh
[photo taken by Marc Hirsh]
originally
published in The
Boston Globe, August 8, 2005
Playing a set comprised almost entirely of unfamiliar material is one of the more unenviable positions for a pop musician to be in, with its inherent risk of even the most loyal fans checking their watches until they hear a song they recognize. But if David Gray seemed mildly apologetic for playing his upcoming Life In Slow Motion (due September 13) in full at Avalon on Thursday, the audience forgave him, saving some of their most enthusiastic applause for songs they had never heard before.
Perhaps they simply recognized that the new songs – like the delicate, orchestral “From Here I Can Almost See The Sea,” the aptly titled “Slow Motion” and the mid-tempo ballad “Lately” – were future favorites that they were hearing for the first time. “Lately” in particular overcame an off-kilter 7/4 time signature and nearly epic length to blossom neatly and win the crowd’s affection.
Throughout the evening, Gray appeared relaxed and
confident,
singing in a warm voice that stayed just this side of gruff as his
polished
backing band provided a rich adult pop sound anchored by the excellent,
inventive drumming of Craig “Clune” McClune (whose position downstage, rather than
behind the
singer, indicated his importance). The band’s strength was subtly
demonstrated during the White Ladder
song “This Year’s Love,” which Gray carried mostly on his piano
while the other musicians offered support only as needed and showed
restraint otherwise.
The only hiccups came with some technical glitches that seemed to recur throughout the set (Gray expressed frustration at his ear monitors more than once, to the point of stopping “Ain’t No Love” dead and restarting it once everything had been sorted out), but such difficulties remained on stage and were all but invisible to the audience. By the end, Gray thanked the crowd, saying, “We’ve played you a whole album you’ve never heard before,” but they seemed to be looking forward to hearing it again.
Acoustic folkie Micah P. Hinson, who resembled a workingman’s cross between Judge Reinhold and Marshall Crenshaw, opened the show with his occasionally growly baritone but seemed to struggle to maintain the crowd’s attention.