This Is Not A Love Song
policyoftruth | 04/03/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Sinatra piano ballad from "White Ladder" finally gets released as a single. It's not the most obvious single choice, that would be "Babylon", which makes it all the more welcome. Too often, artists design songs specifically as singles. It's a heartfelt meditation on being in love and the underlying fear of losing that love.Gray's opus is beautifully put together, the piano line perfectly underscoring his slow, world-weary voice. Why didn't he give it more of a chance and release it when the film it was written for appeared? It would have fitted easily on to Faithless's recent "All Back To Mine" compilation, a perfect 2 in the morning chill-out track, for when you're ruminating on what should have happened in your life.And the hopes and fears of tomorrow are poured in as well. To hold a lighter aloft when this song is played live would be to do it a gross sentimental injustice. Just think about it instead."