With the phenomenal success of his last album "White Ladder", David Gray faced a major challenge. It was generally acknowledged by Gray himself that the popularity of White Ladder was unusual. For Gray, who had struggled for years to make it big, White Ladder marked his entrance into the music major leagues. That album was something a little bit special- it would have to be to have the kind of sales it (still) generates. So to move on to his next effort " A New Day at Midnight" must have been incredible daunting.

Comparisons are inevitable, so I'll make some, though I feel it would be unfair to judge this album solely on what has gone before.

I decided to take the plunge as soon as it was released, figuring if I hated it, it would easily be shifted on eBay. Paying £8.99 (free shipping!) from the ever reliable CD-WOW, I placed my order and held my breath. It arrived a few days ago and has been on heavy rotation ever since.

I know from a little background reading that personal circumstances in David Gray's life had an influence on the style and feel of this album. In particular, the death of his father and the birth of his son gave Gray plenty to ruminate about and his lyrics in general are tinged with a sense of big emotive life and death issues. This makes for a somewhat darker, more introspective album than White Ladder. I get the sense that Gray decided he didn't want to be a total downer, though, so it tries to balance itself by adding in some quirky poppier sounding tunes. Does he succeed?

1. Dead in the water

What an unfortunate title to begin the album with. I wonder if Gray was aware there was something ironic there. As a first tune, it works OK-it's a decent song, although certainly not anywhere near his best. The lyrics and melody are a tad repetitive, and you begin to wonder where the song is going. It saves itself by having a decent enough beat and energy keep it moving along, but only just. If you hear this and despair, don't worry, it doesn't reflect the rest of the album!

2. Caroline

OK, so it’s not quite "Babylon", or "Please Forgive Me", but it's in that vein. This tune definitely grew on me after a few listens. It's an odd melodic mixture, and I won’t even try to identify what is meant to be going on what with synth sounds blended with a kind of Celtic jig at one point. It's a cool catchy love song, but I am not sure it's for everyone. It had me humming along though, don't you know "honey".

3. Long distance call

Beautiful lyrics and a excellent melody which kicks in a couple bars in makes this tune one of my favourites on the album. There's a certain summer feeling about it to me, almost as if Gray is asking us to cast our minds back to happier memories. It's not a big statement about anything in particular, or at least not that I can decipher, but one which resonates for me. "Early morning sun, shine it and I'm gone, to plane out on the lake".

4. Freedom

For me this is when the album really takes off. In come the deep piano chords that are such a trademark of David Gray. This song is quite openly expressing incredulous grief, questioning change, singing of a world that has lost its meaning while encouraging us to hold on to the present. The imagery is lovely and though the melody is quite gentle, it's a very powerful statement. A beautiful tune about coming to terms with sadness and loss.

5. Kangaroo

I have to confess I am not sure what he is on about here. The lyrics are ambling and slightly nonsensical. Once again Gray shows his penchant for the word "honey". Repeatedly. There is a sense of confusion mixed with optimism. It's a nice enough tune, though not a standout on the overall album.

6. Last Boat to America

If you can get past the cheesy sounding synthy keyboard sounds at the start, this is a nice little song. The lyrics are catchy and the melody. Typical Gray, it bimbles along and then hits the hot spot with an abrupt key change. All of a sudden to me the song switches up a gear- the pingy synth remains, but the whole feel deepens. There's an underlying sense of longing and yearning, a wistful longing to simply float away into the sky contrasting with a demanding anger and insistence, repeating- "Don't that pin that line on me". I often get this sense with Gray's song- he's evoking a idealic imagery but yet trying to cut to the chase at the same time. Interesting.

7. Real love

A great song with a lovely little piano undercurrent- quite strong with the imagery from the start- "the dawn in all its majesty" which carries the listener onto the powerful emotive centre of the song. Funny though how even when he is singing about the euphoria of love Gray's singing voice can come across as whiny. Or at least ambivalent. As usual, the joyous is intermingled with the painful- "the world in all its clarity is glorious, is fake".

8. Knowhere

A bit more "rocky" in tone than some of the other tunes, and for me, it starts unmemorably, with a kind of a repetitive feel. Then it picks up at the chorus, and becomes a bit catchier. This song seems to be a mix of anger, bewilderment and grief, mixed with a sense of defiance. "I don't know where, I don't know what I'm, supposed to do now. Get it on all night". That feeling you get when things are so crap you just think, hell with it, let's throw down and get on with it.

9. December

Probably my least favourite song on the album, this is a slow and quite melancholy tune. It does evoke a sense of winter blues, and it does have one or two nice melodic moments, but fits in best as part of the overall album rather than a tune on its own.

10. Be mine

This is another endearing tune, the type of song that made thousands of women go "ahhhhh" on White Ladder. Dammit, I love you baby and I wantcha so bad. Or something like that. It helps that it's a good catchy tune and doesn't seem to take itself too seriously- I mean any song with lyrics like "Jumpin' Jesus, Holy Cow!" has got to bring a smile to the face. I don't think as an overall piece it's a masterwork, but it works well on the album, Honey Baby.

11. Easy way to cry

Ah, unrequited love. Gray is so good at singing about the bitter pill of love. This song reminds me the tracks on White Ladder in terms of lyrics, mood, and melody. Lots of piano rippling through it. Not hugely original, but seems to come from the heart, and one which I felt instantly familiar with.

12. The other side

A slightly somber and introspective note on which to end- quite in contrast with the seemingly shallow opening numbers. It was almost as if Gray spent the first couple tunes warming us up so he could talk about the big important issues. And here we are, questioning what to do with the "sorrow and rage, a tear that falls on every page". It seems an appropriate way to finish the album, a track which sums up so much of Gray's inner turmoil. A great tune and lyrics which speak to the heart, albeit with further references to "honey". I can live with that.

I do not regret a single penny spent on this album. While perhaps not destined to become as big a hit as White Ladder, this is a fine piece of work which shows a lot of maturity and indeed courage. It's unapologetic, personal without becoming too maudlin. It has its weak moments, but it stands up as a whole. I don't think it's the first David Gray album to buy if you have never heard him before, and it's also not the sort of thing that will speak volumes to everyone. But if you're like me, and want an album to accompany and uplift you through the coming darkness of winter, this is the one.