David Gray.. White Ladder...

This 'grungy record' technique has been used on a few recordings that I've heard. It's funny that the 'mood' that the artist is trying to create is antithetical to the ideals of audiophiles. Still, I think it's not so unreasonable to see the nostalgia that this would evoke in some (or perhaps more accurately, the feeling of inferred nostalgia evoked in a generation that has by and large only heard CD's).

BTW, when did everyone adopt Doug's posting style?

We've just begun to adopt Doug's artistic license (think I got it now!) with respect to spelling!

Actually, I don't think it was the pure intention, so much as the fact that the album was recorded in his living room, for almost zero money. This was his last shot at a recording career, as his first few albums did not sell well outside of England. The main reason it has gotten so much attention in this country was that Dave Matthews heard David Gray during a DMB European tour and so enjoyed what he heard, Dave signed him as the first artist on his new record label, ATO records.