Grayson Wray
Picasso’s Dream
Impressive
Strangely enough, what Picasso’s Dream reminds me of most is a Monkees album without Mickey Dolenz’s vocals and Boyce & Hart, Neil Diamond or John Stewart’s songwriting. That is to say, good, commercial pop that’s not quite as radio-ready as it wants to be.
Grayson Wray’s work is clearly influenced by more decades than the ’60s, though•it’s retro, but it’s not just ’60s retro, if you take the point. His website invites you to “Time travel with Grayson Wray from the ’60s thru the ’80s,” and that’s pretty accurate. I heard, or thought I heard, Tears For Fears, Timbuk 3 and Depeche Mode influences on “What’s Inside,” “Into The Unknown” and “Below The Surface.” But as always with the spot-the-influence game, this says as much or more about me as it does about Wray.
“You Got Something” opens with a clear, simple keyboard line followed by a new wave guitar riff, like David Bowie playing with Phil Seymour around 1986. It’s a good start, but Wray doesn’t seem to know what to do with it.
What this man needs is a singing/songwriting partner.
Impressive Music: http://www.impressivemusic.com/
