After a hiatus of four years, David Gray is back with a hopeful new single, ‘The Sapling’ from his soon-to-be released new album, Gold In A Brass Age.  The album, due out on the 8th of March, on IHT Records/AWAL Record-ings, is in advance of a host of headlines shows in March including Cardiff’s St David’s Hall, London’s Royal Festival Hall and Dublin’s Bord Gais Theatre. (Find more tour information here).  Gray is back in full form but with added creative thrust and innovation.  Gray is definitely exploring and experimenting more with this latest offering, but still delivering the laid-back yet thoughtful songs with perfect arrangements to compliment every track.

Gray has said about the new album, “With this album, my default position was to do everything differ-ently. I didn’t think ‘this would be a good hook or ‘these lyrics could work for a chorus’. I was keen to get away from narrative. Instead of writing melodies, I looked for phrases with a natural cadence, so that the rhythm began with the words. I reimagined where a song might spring from and what form it could take.”

The track itself has a positive vibe and reflects Gray’s new drive, with a bouncy yet soft baseline and lyrics that are inspiring and accomplished and all about finding your way through and rising up, despite not knowing the route always.   The whole album seems aimed to hit that tone and trend, to find the brightness in a melancholy status.  And, it’s an easy listen this single, and one to find a gentle hope from to match the challenges of life. Gray is on-form and we recommend you find a place for this on your playlist, it’s the perfect groove to lighten up to.

 

Keep up to date with everything on David via Twitter here.

Dana Miller