Gracie Gray – Magnet (2024)
Establishing herself as a key artist in the US indie movement, singer-songwriter and producer Gracie Gray is a breath of fresh are within a sometimes-stagnating indie-pop scene. Based on Spotify, Gray has been entertaining the masses since 2017 with the release of her well-received EP Black Clothes; however, as we all know, the date she releases things hardly ties up with the time spent honing her craft with live performances, Passionate, powerful and pure, Gray’s shows replicate the intriguing sentimentality of her streamed songs – or is it the other way around? Either way, she hypnotises listeners from the opening note turning heads on an international scale. This is our first dive into Gracie Gray’s discography, and we begin with her new album Magnet.
Following the well-received singles ‘Envy’ and ‘Sides’, both featured on Magnet, the new album is a half-hour wading through the murky realms between indie-folk and indie-pop, with a swift flicker of dream pop shimmering along. Interestingly, while there are diverse genres within Magnet, Gray appears to draw a signature sound that transcends styles with her insatiable vocals. In an obscure presentation, her dulcet tones have the haunting vulnerability of a siren but with a confident soothing that is oddly enticing.
One aspect I love about Magnet and Gracie Gray is how her visage may seem fragile, but that is a mere surface illusion. Take a further step into her music, and you discover profoundness and depth within an eclectic heart. Opening with the tracks ‘Sea Of Glass’ and ‘Wishes’, Gray sets the stage for an unconventional exploration of raw human emotion… and it continues throughout the album.
In an entirely inimitable blend of guitar, piano, bass, drums and percussion, each track drawing its own from the instrumental melting pot, Magnet skips from the soothing ‘Wishes’ and ‘Sides’ to the vulnerable ‘Burden’ and ‘Pick Me’. For me, however, the acoustic-driven ‘Gone Already’ is the most beautiful in its skin-chilling clarity. Stepping above the other tracks, Gray’s raw vocals in ‘Gone Already’ seem clearer, stronger and more polished while retaining innocent vulnerability.
Each of the songs on Magnet is powerful individually, but together they act as an insight into Gray herself. An intricate flood of sounds from youthful vulnerability to positive empowerment, this talented songstress keeps a glimmer of herself threaded through the charming singles. Gray explains:
“Making this album was incredibly challenging and rewarding at the same time. I feel like these songs showed and continue to show me parts of myself I couldn’t get to any other way… in a technical sense, producing and mixing it grew me in a very different way. A huge part of this solo project is just giving myself room to grow and do whatever I want, no rules. Even if I can’t do what I’m attempting to in the eyes of some people, I’m trying to and I’m having a lot of fun.”
Along with several audio and lyric videos of the tracks from Magnet, Gracie Gray released a music video for the opening track ‘Sea of Glass’. You can view the video below and/or on Gray’s YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Gracie Gray on her official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
Listen to indie-folk tunes on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
