The Grey Race

The exceptionally talented Jon Darling, the main singer-songwriter behind New York’s the Grey Race, has a lot to say. With his equally talented backing band he finally gets the chance to mess around with pop rock and gently feed listeners bass-heavy melodic rock in the vein of Jeff Buckley or Coldplay. Yet there’s something dark about this debut. Darling’s delicate whining overtop the luscious mixes is anything but youthful, with the songs sounding experienced and confident. "From Me to You” is almost bluesy, and the bass leads it in a soothing direction. The raw and haunting "Jumping In” accentuates the beautiful capabilities of an acoustic guitar and an amazing voice, while "Through Your Eyes” does the same with more emotion. Genuine references to folk masters like Iron & Wine give texture to these organic tunes. The last song, "Lights Out,” proves these cats diligent at writing more upbeat, urgent rock, as they switch from their slower acoustic songs naturally and flawlessly.