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Casual Observer

by William Gray

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  • Full Digital Discography

    9
    releases

    Get all 9 William Gray releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Calinsomnia, Seine, Flounce, Tish, Wensan Rd, Casual Observer, Vertical Wealth, BBC Radio Session and Interview, and 1 more. , and , .

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1.
Blood And Water 03:06
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2.
Truth Keeps Her Mouth Closed 04:01
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3.
I Don't Ever Want To Leave This Cloud 03:36
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4.
Can't Get Through 04:02
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5.
Dig Your Heels In (Until Your Legs Give Way) 03:22
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6.
Obstacles 03:03
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7.
Ignoring The Answer 02:35
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8.
Idle Talk (Remain Aloof) 03:06
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9.
Selfish Mind 04:32
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about

Individual tracks again received BBC radio play and the album came 11th in Vibrations Magazine's albums of 2012:

'Over the course of his two previous albums (None of the Above and Vertical Wealth) William Gray has honed his remarkable songwriting talents to the extent that Casual Observer represents a potent distillation of what he does.

Like all his albums, this one isn’t particularly long (its nine songs just scraping over the 30 minute mark) and superficially it doesn’t seem to contain much of value on first hearing.

However, something indefinable will make you play it again and from that point on the jewels it contains will begin to emerge.

Gray’s main achievement is the economy with which he makes both words and music, allied to a mature sense of melody, deliver observations and stories about life and love that resonate so strongly.

And his voice, subtly aged over the years like a smokey single malt, adds a world-weary melancholy to each song.

Musically, Gray is beginning to shift away from a simple acoustic guitar backing to incorporate a wider range of instruments and effects that help to push his songs into interesting new shapes.

Gray is the kind of songwriter who you just know can only get better and better.'

Steve Walsh
Vibrations Magazine

credits

released June 8, 2012

All songs written, performed and produced by William Gray ©2012

*Drums on tracks 1 and 5 by Nathan Bosomworth

Additional production and mastering by Matt Dockerty

Artwork by Layla Garner

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all rights reserved

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about

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William Gray Hangzhou, China

William Gray was born in Wales but currently lives in China. Difficult to pigeonhole, positive comparisons have been made with Damon Albarn, Elliott Smith, and Bon Iver. His music has received repeated plays on BBC Radio, including 6 Music.

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