Quickie Review: David Gray

Had the pleasure of catching Captain Bobblehead in concert last night, and it struck me not three songs into the performance: David Gray is the musical equivalent of Shawn Marion.  Now the music scene is plagued with a bizarre state where talented artists are given a backseat in deference to Disney-manufactured video puppets, so this appeals to just about anyone today, but these two guys are unheralded to a frustrating degree in comparison to what they have to offer.  Both are true professionals that squeeze out maximum effort each night they perform, you don’t see them swinging a bag of ego around, and you would almost certainly enjoy watching them perform even if you walked in with no prior exposure to them.  Gray’s music was as well-rounded as Matrix’s game: sculpted lyrics, passionate singing with timbre, and accompanying instrumental parts (including a cello!) that are interwoven into the song rather than simple fill-ins around his guitar.  The songs are grabbing without being formulaic pop, they are artistic without being abstract.  Outside of his previous catalogue, Lately struck me most from the night’s setlist.  How unfair do I think it is that David Gray is still, at best, a B-level star in this country?  I would turn down free tickets to Sting in order to pay to see Gray if given the choice.