The Gray [LP]

Never - The Gray [LP]

After the raw, instinct-led release of JXDY, which was initially never planned as a longplayer, NEVER returns with his sophomore album The Gray, a more thought-out and expanded body of work. Out on Veyl, the record keeps its roots in post-punk and darkwave, but opens up into a broader space, both sonically and emotionally. For the first time, NEVER brings in outside voices in a more central way. What started with experiments outside his own music, like the remix for Years of Denial's "City Lights," now becomes a core part of the process, making The Gray feel less isolated and more like a shared ground shaped by different inputs. The collaborations mark key moments across the album. "Is This Real," the collaboration with Arizona duo Meldamor leans into a more direct, dancefloor-oriented approach, with Mel's vocals bringing a restrained, atmospheric presence that shapes the track's tone without overpowering it. "RXVOK," together with Filmmaker, goes darker and rougher, pulling in industrial weight with black-metaltinged vocal textures. On "Shxdows Bite," Castelli brings in a colder, '80s-leaning mood, keeping things melodic but restrained. "Amphibiens" with Contre Soirée pushes in the opposite direction, more raw and abrasive, with French vocals cutting through a dense and pressure(more...)

A1. Hxlding Time
A2. Regret Everything
A3. Is This Real (Feat. Meldamor)
A4. Echxes
A5. Shadxws Bite (Feat. Castelli)
A6. Xblivixn
B1. The Gray
B2. Amphibiens (Feat. Contre Soirée)
B3. Undxne
B4. REVXK (Feat. Filmmaker)
B5. Liminal