Lucy Gray has collected the poignant memories of her life on ‘Whole Life Waiting’, a stirring six-track collection that marks the NZ artist’s debut EP
With echoes of everyone from Boygenius to Lizzy McAlpine, the project more than marks Gray’s arrival on the scene with delicate storytelling and a distinctive vocal range.
Lead single ‘pretty’ brims with acoustic guitar melodies and brooding piano keys, an emotional ballad that at once recalls the intimacy of Gracie Abrahams.
There’s a distinct singer-songwriter quality to the track, with diaristic lyrics and relatively sparse instrumentation that allows Gray’s vocals to shine.
Stirring in its versatility, Gray’s voice can move between rustic melancholy and airy harmonies with finesse, adding to a sound that feels altogether enrapturing.
For all its simplicity, the production on ‘pretty’ still brims with ear-catching flairs, with punchy percussion moments and backing vocal riffs adding texture.
Like the great singer-songwriters before her, Gray infuses honesty and relatability into her lyrics, with ‘pretty’ finding her stuck in the memories of a former partner who’s “intoxicated me.”
This vulnerability continues on fellow EP standout ‘coffee breath’, a simmering pop and R&b hybrid that sees Gray fall into the arms of someone who might not be the best for her.
In between sauntering rhythms and spacious synths, she sings in a more hushed tone of being needed “like a drug”, before reaching ascendant levels on the chorus.
It’s a testament to Gray’s versatility that she can feel at home on both a guitar ballad and a more rhythmic sizzler, but she treads even more new territory on ‘not fair’.
Here, she muses alongside twangy guitar strings and layered harmonies a la Missy Higgins, setting the scene for the EP’s most candid moment.
Gray describes poetic images like second-hand smoke and painting fumes to paint a portrait of her emotions, all while reclaiming her self-confidence in a toxic relationship.
Elsewhere, on ‘we were the scene’, Gray sings in ached vocals of the pain that comes with letting someone go atop melancholic keys.
The track itself feels like a memory, with gradual swells and quieter moments where Gray makes room for reflection.
‘paranoia of the mind’, meanwhile, begins with the feel of a pensive summer’s afternoon with glittery strings before transitioning into something darker.
At once recalling the likes of Emma Ruth Rundle and Chelsea Wolfe, the track feels both shimmery and icy, as Gray sings of how “the demons live inside my mind.”
This mastery of her sound and her songwriting might be expected for an artist ten years’ her senior, but ‘Whole Life Waiting’ is especially impressive given that it marks Gray’s debut.
If this is just the beginning, then we’re in for a treat. Listen to Lucy Gray’s debut EP ‘Whole Life Waiting’ below.
