{"id":5486,"date":"2023-06-09T05:33:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T05:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=5486"},"modified":"2023-06-09T05:33:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T05:33:22","slug":"album-review-most-definitely-devin-gray-words-sammy-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2023\/06\/09\/album-review-most-definitely-devin-gray-words-sammy-stein\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: &#8220;Most Definitely&#8221; &#8211; Devin Gray. Words: Sammy Stein."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-435x435.jpg 435w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Devin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Most Definitely\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/54x2nhGRMhNPOb9fGxVYR2?si=zRZQ3oskSSSFgbv2OvPWgA&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>At Platinum Mind we reviewed Devin Gray\u2019s single, \u2019Pull to Refresh\u2019 when the album was a future vision. Now that vision is here and out on Rataplan Records on 9<sup>th<\/sup> June.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, let\u2019s talk about value \u2013 twenty-three tracks, twenty-one of them short but all gloriously different. Secondly, let\u2019s talk drums \u2013 Devin has amazing kit and uses it impressively. Thirdly \u2013 let\u2019s talk about talent \u2013 drummers are often the mainstay of a band, supportive, or soloing but putting out an album entirely of drum music might seem a challenge. Not for Gray. For Gray, putting out an album of drum music feels the most natural thing to do, and for the listener, it becomes clear why.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Most Definitely\u2019 is an example of just how creative a musician can be with a set of drums and a few additions. Gray explores what he believes the world needs more of \u2013 sonic energy. In twenty-three tracks, mostly delivered at speed, Gray proves he is continually thinking outside conventional boxes in terms of percussive sounds and rhythm variations. The patterns interweave and create remarkable twists, and alterations of hue and volume that work together to form a mesmeric soundscape splashed with tonal colour and textural variation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The creativity is astounding, and the tracks include barely-whispered sections to thunking, booming timpanic episodes. It totals just over an hour of engaging music.<\/p>\n<p>Gray uses his recordings to relate emotions such as the loss of friends, and admiration for writers, musicians, and acquaintances. The album is a reflective vision of life so far, seen from Gray\u2019s point of view.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>His personality shines through the tracks.<\/p>\n<p>Some tracks to note are \u2018Hunker Down\u2019 with its gentle rolling rhythms coupled with precision, pin-point accurate time patterns, and the equally impressive \u2018Soldier On Milford\u2019, or the electronic vibes of \u2018Digital Nomads\u2019 and \u2018Bad Wi-Fi\u2019. \u2018Pull To Refresh\u2019 was the first single from the album and is a mix of clever polyphonic styling on manual and electric drums, creating a minute or so of powerful patterns.<\/p>\n<p>On \u2018Bad Wi-Fi\u2019 the drums and electronic sounds weave together to create that irritation of a poor connection \u2013 complete with cut-out, and re-connecting. \u2018Most Definitely\u2019 \u2013 is the title track and possibly the most \u2018Gray\u2019 track with its multiple, varying rhythms that weave in and out of each other. Gray creates deep resonate passages and delicate rivulets of sound in turn. \u2018Upstate Berlin\u2019 is a sandbox of sounds, changing over a short period and creating interesting, mind-boggling patterns, while \u2018Tailgate Lunches\u2019 is crazy rhythms with a pattern repeated over voice-enhanced sounds. The track veers from crashing to quiet. In \u2018Blackwell Magic there is an atmosphere created by the timpani drums and in \u2018Hoi Polloi there are intricate, delicate patterns of sound interwoven and complex while \u2018Digital Nomads\u2019 is an almost continual drum roll interspersed with electronic enhancements and darkly nuanced deeper elements. \u2018Crypto Punks is strange and eerily atmospheric while \u2018Only The Poets (For Daniel Levine) is heavily improvised with intricate, changing patterns. \u2018Doom Scrolling\u2019 is darkly spiritual and there is a sense of searching for something unseen throughout the track.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Jack De Blues\u2019 is wonderful, with its blues patterns and waves of sound while the two longer tracks offer the chance to dive deep into sonic exploration.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u2018Tough Love\u2019 sees a beautiful development of sound from gentle, barely-there whispers to thumping exhortations of noise. A delight. In \u2018Soldier On, Milford\u2019 there are what feels like the sounds of life, with creaks, scrapes, and breaks, to create 20 minutes of standout drum music.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Millennial Hotel\u2019 is crashing and loud and \u2018Vone It In\u2019 closes the album with massive sound. Other tracks \u2013 \u20182077\u2019, \u2018Vone Call\u2019, \u2018Subscription Fatigue\u2019, \u2018Anthony Burroughs\u2019, \u2018Case By Case\u2019, and \u2018Data Pollution\u2019 are all involve a wide range of sounds.<\/p>\n<p>Gray achieves huge variation with his drums, electronics, and not least his mind, which is where all this energy comes from. This is no ordinary album \u2013 but then Gray has proved he is no ordinary musician.<\/p>\n<p>If drums were living beings, they would place themselves in the hands of this masterful sonic storyteller and trust him to tell their story. The album is like an insight into Gray\u2019s history and probably a glimpse of his future too \u2013 let\u2019s hope the drum story continues to evolve in the hands of musicians like Gray. A standout album.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Platinum Mind we reviewed Devin Gray\u2019s single, \u2019Pull to Refresh\u2019 when the album was a future vision. Now that vision is here and out on Rataplan Records on 9th June. Firstly, let\u2019s talk about value \u2013 twenty-three tracks, twenty-one of them short but all gloriously different. Secondly, let\u2019s talk drums \u2013 Devin has amazing &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[229,129,139,30,142,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-composer","category-drums","category-jazz","category-music","category-producer","category-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5486"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5493,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486\/revisions\/5493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}