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[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.
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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.
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Q MagazineMusically and lyrically, Life In Slow Motion is his strongest collection of songs to date. [Sep 2005, p.108]
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BillboardEven with the added string section, Gray has not lost his knack for combining lovely melodies with bittersweet lyrics. [17 Sep 2005]
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MojoThose who thought White Ladder would stand as Gray's crowning achievement may now have to think again. [Oct 2005, p.104]
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While it may not match his most impressive work, he continues to challenge himself.
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Entertainment WeeklyYour 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]
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A tendency to devolve into Coldplay-esque atmospherics makes it a less than wholly successful effort.
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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.
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Compelling to some, maddening to others, it should be said that at least Gray's voice is tuneful.
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Life in Slow Motion [is] as arresting as these things get. Which is not all that arresting.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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UncutFeels timid and trite. [Oct 2005, p.98]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 26 out of 35
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Mixed: 8 out of 35
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Negative: 1 out of 35
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Dec 5, 2013
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Jul 13, 2011
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ScottYJan 15, 2006