7/10

Despite only emerging with his humbly-titled 'EP' in February last year, New York-based artist GRAYS has quickly established himself as one of the more adventurous names on the rise right now. Turning out a flurry of fresh and innovative offerings every few months, he has cultivated a sound that not only reflects the city in which he lives, but also adds more levity to the progressive indie-rock genre today. So after plenty of praise and acclaim for his recent releases, he is now looking to cement his dynamic legacy to date with his eagerly-awaited debut album 'Apologies', a record that sums up his progressive endeavours of late.

Following very much in the same footsteps of fellow New Yorkers The Strokes, 'Apologies' sets itself up as a wonderfully broad and enjoyable listen. Stripping back much of its more enigmatic production to a simple, bare-bones guitar-driven aesthetic, GRAYS finds himself in a brilliantly adventurous guise as he looks to make light work of these captivating bops from start to finish. Keeping the energy and flair as upbeat as possible, his first full-length highlights some of his more mesmerising efforts so far, and delivers a shining example of his compelling direction to date.

He may have only been going for a little longer than a year right now, but 'Apologies' certainly makes for a strong and solid introduction to his sound at the moment. Brimming with these bright and immersive textures as often as possible, he is bringing back the dancefloor-friendly indie sound with style and finesse here.