Life In Slow Motion - David Gray
Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. [Gray has] stepped up his own game with richer production, bigger arrangements and a renewed sense of purpose that makes songs like "Alibi" and "Disappearing World" sound like his most epic work yet.
  2. With "Life In Slow Motion" he's delivered an album so rich and deft that it pushes beyond the realm of the humble singer-songwriter, to earn him a place alongside the likes of Springsteen and Van Morrison as one of music's revered elite. Without question, this is a classic album.
  3. Musically and lyrically, Life In Slow Motion is his strongest collection of songs to date. [Sep 2005, p.108]
  4. 80
    Those who thought White Ladder would stand as Gray's crowning achievement may now have to think again. [Oct 2005, p.104]
  5. Even with the added string section, Gray has not lost his knack for combining lovely melodies with bittersweet lyrics. [17 Sep 2005]
  6. While it may not match his most impressive work, he continues to challenge himself.
  7. Your brunch pals will not flee in horror from this omelette-enhancing soundtrack, nor, most likely, will they rush out to buy it. [23 Sep 2005, p.87]
  8. A rewarding listen for the faithful who have the time, patience, and inclination to dig into this, but for those whose dedication isn't so strong, this is sweet, gentle, and ultimately forgettable.
  9. On his most affecting cuts, such as the lilting, elegiac title track, Gray works up the kind of gentle melancholia that goes down smooth, but reappears later, in your head.
  10. Life in Slow Motion [is] as arresting as these things get. Which is not all that arresting.
  11. Gray is wise to continue experimenting and testing the boundaries of his art, but his changes don't need to be this bold. In this case, he comes up short: his minimalist mastery does not translate to resounding baroque success.
  12. A tendency to devolve into Coldplay-esque atmospherics makes it a less than wholly successful effort.
  13. Compelling to some, maddening to others, it should be said that at least Gray's voice is tuneful.
  14. Such missteps and miscalculations are permissible, however, given that Life in Slow Motion plays as much like a debut album by a young star-in-the-making who just got a record deal with a big studio budget as much as it does like an eighth album by a jaded industry veteran over a decade into his career.
  15. 40
    Feels timid and trite. [Oct 2005, p.98]
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. David Gray is definitely one of the more underrated artists out there and I never did quite understand all this talk of his material lacking ever since White Ladder. This album is enough in proving otherwise. If I had to own just one David Gray album, this would be it. Highlight: "Lately" Full Review »
  2. ScottY
    7
    Not as good as his past couple of albums but for a David Gray fan, it's still worth owning. Still very good mellow music that's in line with what he's done before. Full Review »
  3. EmilyW
    10
    Great Album, 'The One I Love' is such a beatiful song! Love it!!!