“If I could, I would, turn the bad into good.â€
“Cracks,†the first great song on The Grey Race’s first full-length, begins with this idealistic sentiment, but quickly recognizes a need for the “gritty edge to keep me interestingâ€, a need for cracks, a need for shades of gray. What follows are nine more deceiving light rock songs sung in New Zealander Jon Darling’s forlorn falsetto. Cynical lyrics lurk under soft and smooth pop music with perfectionist production values. Every note is precise, every snap of the cymbal or strum of the bass well-placed to drive each song forward. Although the album stumbles occasionally over slow and ponderous numbers, overall this is an album that deserves all the accolades usually reserved for The Shins and Bright Eyes.
(If the band sounds familiar, it’s because they released an advance EP earlier this year, which we reviewed here.)
“Care of Cell #44 (Zombies cover).” From their self-titled EP, released earlier this year.
