US composer and musician SCOTT GRAY is a fairly recent addition to the recording artists found stateside from what I can understand. He established a digital presence back in 2016, and in the spring of 2018 he launched his debut EP “Raincoats & Other Short Stories”. Fast forward one more year and the same EP is now officially released also for a European audience, with an additional bonus track added for the occasion.
The style of music here is very much inside the adult contemporary department, although I suspect it is more a case of chance rather than design that the songs are as diverse as they are inside this context. Or to rephrase, as Gray is a creator with a strong focus on the lyrics, I rather suspect that the lyrical content decides much more about how any given song will sound than any plans to create a song in this or that style.
Hence we are treated to uplifting creations where jazz meets pop music, with a wee bit of second wave ska elements flavoring the soundscapes with energy and purpose: Think mid 80’s Madness in a calmer moment putting their music through a pop filter. We also get piano ballads with and without a jazzy touch, more straight forward pop rock creations and a couple of instances of material with an orchestral backing and a more majestic and grandiose overall sound, not all that far removed in style from the songs that were chosen as the select theme song for classic era James Bond movies.
Gray tends to add a small touch of Americana to his compositions as well, which does add a bit to the palette used, especially when done in such a careful and subtle manner. As a careful fragrance this element fits these landscapes quite nicely indeed.
That being said, I understand that the piano is Gray’s main instrument, and it is a central presence throughout. Brass is used to good effect in the songs with a jazzier touch, orchestral backdrops when appropriate, the electric guitar gets to add a deeper and firmer tone to some key arrangements and is given a nice solo run on the odd occasion as well, but the piano is the main foundation and, I suspect, the instrument where most of not all of these songs were developed.
Perhaps even more important are the lead vocals, especially as I get the feeling that this is a production that will be aimed towards the adult contemporary market. Gray is a fine vocalist, with good control of his voice, and he is perhaps at his very best when conveying emotions. A voice made for mainstream radio if I ever heard one, with enough character to it to be notable, but also without a tone or delivery that will be noticed in any negative manner.
As far as debut EP’s go, I find “Raincoats & Other Short Stories” to be a charming one. Not quite the kind of music I listen to or review on a regular basis, but what I do hear is music made for a mainstream oriented audience and songs that should fit in quite nicely in any mainstream radio stations I know about. Well made pop music with a liberal amount of jazz details and a careful amount of Americana flavoring is the name of this particular game, and as such I think many with an interest in that combination of genre elements will find this to be a rewarding EP to encounter.
My rating: 71/100
