Kev Gray and The Gravy Train – “Wait For The Thunder” – Beguiling, soothing, thought provoking and uplifting!
The first statement to make when reviewing music by Kev Gray and The Gravy Train, is that over and above any genre stylings they may execute, the band has an incredibly original sound, complete with top-notch drumming, slinky bass lines, powerful vocals, soaring guitars, and soothing keys. The formula for how the instrumentation and vocals interact with each other varies radically from song to song, offering a set of extremely distinctive performances on every occasion. Hence, their latest jazzy, funk-soul single release, “Wait For The Thunder”, is yet another fresh and stimulating groove from this talented international collective.
Based around the lyrical songwriting of lead singer, Kev Gray, the award-winning, multi-genre band, Kev Gray and The Gravy Train based out of England, America and Japan are also well-known for their uncanny knack of topping themselves, which they’ve done again here with what feels like one of their most expansively chill singles ever.
It presents a well-crafted arrangement that includes a captivating, easy on the ear tune and the vibe of a band playing together in the same room…when they’re not.
“Wait For The Thunder”, which is a “love song about the honeymoon period of falling in love,” is based is based on the ancient Greek concept of thunder being a confirmation omen from the Leader of the Gods, Zeus. The recording also features some dazzling post-production work with majestic backing vocals and some horn augmentation.
If you could roll John Mayer, The Dave Matthews Band and James Taylor into one single package, you may have a small hint of the poignant artistic qualities contained within this song.
One of the more inspiring and heart-warming trends that has developed as we attempt to navigate through these remarkably technological times is that of artists connecting with each other via social media and other online avenues to share their ideas and create incredible collaborative projects such as Kev Gray and The Gravy Train.
That in turn drop ear-warming projects like “Wait For The Thunder”. Musically, this track provides a strikingly accurate portrayal of what Kev Gray and The Gravy Train still do better than others in 2022.
Jangly strumming guitars, bouncing basslines and crisp drumbeats drive the foundation of “Wait For The Thunder”, as Kev Gray’s high rising vocals smoothly cuts through the dynamic instrumentation to tantalize the ear and soothe the soul.
In addition to the polished lead vocals, the track also features highly refined production values, with a pristinely mixed recording as well as the subtle, yet effective, use of horn and choral arrangements throughout, adding to the depth and fullness of the track’s overall sound.
Breezy and upbeat, “Wait For The Thunder” features a catchy melody along with fiery guitar lines, which signals Kev Gray and The Gravy Train’s joy of playing music. The track is the expression of a state of mind, and listeners are completely drawn into the moment by the band and the music.
Beguiling, soothing, thought provoking and uplifting, all at once, this is music at its absolute finest and literally has something for everyone, in just under four minutes. Scintillating!
OFFICIAL LINKS: FACEBOOK – STREAMS
The song features a worldwide team of top-notch musicians, who were forced to stop playing live during the COVID pandemic from Japan, U.S., Serbia, UK, Italy, and Germany. First track recordings date back to 2011, which were complemented during the course of 2021-22.
Lead Vocals – Kev Gray
Sax – Mari Uga
Rhodes – Mami Horano
Acoustic Guitar – Vanja Grastic
Electric Guitars – Vanja Grastic, Chris Cooling
Bass – Forrest Nelson
Drums – Silvio Centamore
Percussion – Larry Salzman
Backing Vocals – Kev Gray, Aliyia Williams
Mixed and Mastered by Paulo Germano at PG Audio, Brazil
Arranged by Produced by Thomas Hilse
