October 29, 2007
AM-NY.com

I just heard this local band today, catching up on my “Open Mic Music” podcast feed — an outgrowth of NPR’s All Songs Considered that features a new unsigned band each day. As is my wont, I let a whole bunch pile up, and just got around to listening to Oct. 2nd’s featured band: The Grey Race.

That they performed a cover of The Zombies’ “Care of Cell 44” immediately peaked my curiosity — I think The Zombies is a classic group which just doesn’t get enough attention. GR’s treatment of the song is beautiful, and I wanted to hear more. Their MySpace page, linked above, reveals that the band is currently touring Spain with none other than Rufus Wainwright. Good for you, boys!

Further research reveals that they just played a killer set at CMJ, and I missed them. Boo. But, they’ll be at Arlene’s Grocery Dec. 12. Yay!

Anyway, enough facts. What do they sound like? Very Zombies-like. A little bit dark, with retro-sounding harmonies. Carefully crafted pop with a falsetto-voiced frontman, who you wouldn’t mess with because he’d probably sad you to death. Noir-ish and interesting, but not so intellectual that the thoughtfulness of the music gets in the way of itself.