David Gray - White Ladder Live [2LP]

More than two decades after it turned a struggling songwriter into a household name, White Ladder gets the full concert treatment on this gatefold double LP from David Gray.

Recorded in Austin, Texas in 2022 during the album's 20th anniversary tour, White Ladder Live finds Gray playing his 1998 breakthrough from start to finish. The original was made on a modest budget and released on his own label before word of mouth carried it all the way to the top of the UK charts, and that underdog story hangs over every song here.

"Please Forgive Me" and "Babylon" arrive with the crowd already singing, the loops and programmed beats of the studio versions given room to stretch on stage. "This Year's Love" still lands like a quiet confession, all piano and ache, while "Sail Away" swells into a genuine room-wide moment.

The encore is a gift for longtime fans, swerving into a Soft Cell favorite and a heartfelt detour through the David Bowie songbook, complete with Gray's own spoken memories of Glastonbury in 2000.

It plays like a thank-you note to everyone who carried White Ladder around in their car stereo all those years ago, and a reminder of why it never really left. Warm and generous, it is built for front-to-back listening.