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Released on August 21, 2015 via Good Fight Music (US) / End Hits Records (EU)
Do you know that feeling when you listen to something and it really isn’t what you expect? That gentle befuddlement that grows pretty quickly to confusion? That’s largely what this EP elicited for me.
The primary reason most of us will know Nathan Gray is from his day job, Boysetsfire. Their blend of impassioned emotive post-hardcore and politicised hardcore anthems delivered some great music in the early noughties, including the fantastic After The Eulogy. The band re-formed after a hiatus and delivered the scorching While A Nation Sleeps in 2013, and late 20-something hardcore fans rejoiced as the crunchy riffs, righteous anger and soaring vocals surpassed expectations.
A curve ball appeared in the form of I Am Heresy’s 2014 debut full length Thy Will, wherein Nathan teamed up with his son Simon, revealed he was a Satanist (no, really!) and turned out a set of stomping tracks with a strong metalcore influence, occupying a similar space to Gray’s previous work.
Now we have Nathan Gray – the ‘Third Shade of Gray’, if you will – an eponymous project, which is good deal more restrained than his work in either Boysetsfire or I Am Heresy; an outlet for a more personal side of Nathan Gray. Pairing with musical collaborator Daniel E Smith, the overall feeling is downbeat and experimental, using acoustic guitars, electronica, industrial touches and creating an overriding gothic ambience. This is the root of the surprise and confusion I alluded to – I guess that’ll teach me to read the promo literature.
Vocally, Gray’s delivery is exactly what is expected. Nathan has a very recognisable singing voice, both in terms of tone and phrasing, and his work on NTHN GRY is no different. The feel of the vocals are more considered and downbeat, so the bulk of vocals are sung in his distinctive tone, with nary an impassioned shout in sight. This is a mixture of strength and weakness; Nathan’s voice is strong, but some of his vocal melodies wouldn’t sound out of place on a Boysetsfire record, and layering this over the downbeat electro-acoustic-goth feel of the music feels jarring and out of place, a bit like a bad remix. Speaking of which, there actually is a bad remix on here; the offender being ‘Wolves (Swallowing Filth)’, which just heightens the feeling of unease.
The EP comprises eight songs, the first four of which feel like the EP proper and the remaining four comprise the aforementioned remix, two live-in-the-studio versions and a song that feels like a demo. ‘Wolves’ rides in on acoustic guitars mixed low over a simple repetitive drum rhythm and a keyboard refrain. The pre-chorus / chorus section in this some is actually really effective, with swells of keyboard and synth underpinning Gray’s passionate vocal line perfectly. However, there is too much going on in the music throughout – using what sounds like a sample of a scream as a percussive point for example, and aside from the chorus, it feels disjointed.
‘Tomorrow’ is more reflective and stripped down musically, although smothering the vocal in effects for the first half of the song makes them feel muted and buried. The climax of the song is oddly conventional; it’s actually quite nice, just out of place. ‘Baptismal Rites’ is probably the best and most consistent track on the EP, with a chorus that sticks in the head, a nagging bassline, eerie keyboard lines and plenty of restraint in the music which allows Gray’s vocal to breathe. ‘Corson’ starts nicely with muted acoustic guitars and a cello effect, before progressively more ‘stuff’ is layered on.
For me, this is the crux of the issue – the songs feel like they’ve been written by someone with a guitar and then layers of percussion and other effects have been added to bulk them out. It feels unnecessary and contrary to the original arrangement; like they’ve attempted to hide the song and challenged the listener to try and find it. This is highlighted by the live version of ‘Tomorrow’ – stripped back to voice, acoustic guitar and (an admittedly pretty rubbish sounding) keyboard it’s a far stronger song, much truer to what the song feels like it should have been before it was smothered in instrumentation.
Outside of two welcome live versions, we get the aforementioned pointless remix of ‘Wolves’, which robs the song of any dynamism, and what sounds like a short demo of a good song in ‘Wayward Ghosts’ – Gray and an acoustic guitar, stripped back, but then covered with fake tape static – another example where the addition of sound for no reason compromises the overall.
Overall, NTHN GRY is a very mixed bag. There are some really good ideas here, once the initial shock wears off, but only a few really deliver. The major problem appears to be the need to smother the songs themselves with layers of instrumentation, and this ‘kitchen sink’ approach just overcomplicates what could be a simple, effective singer-songwriter release, making it harder for the listener to engage. There are some great moments – the chorus of ‘Wolves’ is strong, ‘Baptismal rites’ works really well; but I think there’s a lesson to be learned when the best version of the songs are stripped back to guitar, a keyboard and a voice. Less is more, Nathan, at least to this listener’s ear.
