The Head and the Heart – Down in the Valley

The Head and the Heart – Rivers and Roads

1. The new David Gray album comes out this Tuesday and I think it is swell.

The album as a whole is a return to form for Gray. His first new album  was released today on Mercer Street Records.  Despite a completely new band and a new label, Draw the Line sounds oddly familiar. The song-writing is very reminescent of the early David Gray that I first fell in love with.  I must clarify here, I am actually referring to White Ladder, Gray’s fourth record, which was the first one I ever heard.  Some of those similarities may be due to the fact that like White Ladder, all of the songs for this record were written completely uninfluenced by a record label contract.  Gray was unhindered and able to put himself completely into the songs. “It shines the light on facets of me as a performer, a writer and a singer that I haven’t perhaps illuminated as brightly enough for a long time,” says Gray, commenting on Draw the Line.  One of the highlights of the record are when Gray is accompanied on vocals by the lovely Jolie Holland on “Kathleen” and the intoxicating Annie Lennox on the album’s closer “Full Steam Ahead.”  It’s not catchy.  Nor is it flashy.  Ok maybe “Fugitive” is a little bit.  But I assure you the rest of it is not.  But if you give it some time, I assure you it will give in return.  This melancholy mix of minor-keyed ballads is good company, sure to make your ears bleed.

2. I am running a contest to give away a limited edition print of the cover art for Draw the Line.

Here are the details for the contest.  Any one can enter (if you live in the U.S.).  All you have to do is come up with a David Gray poem or haiku.  The contest will be open for the next two weeks, ending Oct. 6th.  Myself and the rest of the IHYEB staff will get together and select our favorite poem as the winner. Make sure and leave your e.mail address so that we can contact you if you win.

As I was doing a little research for this post, I discovered that Gray actually has an entire covers album called A Thousand Miles Behind, that I was completely unaware of.  It’s all live acoustic performances of great songs by some legendary artists, such as Bob Dylan or Randy Newman. Here are couple tracks off of that record for all those intrigued.

I think one of the main reasons is that there has been more emphasis on the celebration than the ceremony, which is the way I think it should be.  Now I believe that marriage is a very sacred thing that should be taken very seriously.   And assuming it doesn’t drag on forever I really enjoy a lot of the traditions that we have regarding the marriage ceremony, and would never want to get rid of it or diminish its importance and value.  But I love that with the last several weddings I have been a part of, the whole weekend has just felt like one big party.

Another reason I have come to enjoy weddings lately is that people have felt the freedom to be creative with the music that they use during the ceremony.  Hearing the music that people choose to have everyone in the wedding party walk down to or what they pick as their first dance has become one of my favorite parts of the wedding. And since Eric and Ashley did such a great job of picking music for all of these things I thought that it would make a great playlist worth posting for my faithful readers.

Devotchka – The Winner Is (removed 2/13/09)  (Grandparents)

Coldplay – Life In Technicolor (removed 2/13/09) (Bridesmaids)

Ray Lamontagne – Shelter (removed 2/13/09) (Bride)

David Gray – The One I Love (removed 2/13/09) (Mr. and Mrs.)

Ray Lamontagne – You Are the Best Thing (removed 2/13/09) (First Dance)