GREY by Kiefer Sutherland
71
ChoruScore
7 reviews
Established consensus
May 29, 2026
Release Date
Maple Creek Records
Label
Established consensus Mostly positive consensus

Kiefer Sutherland's GREY arrives as a weathered, talk-sung collection that leans into personal storytelling and rural grief, and critics largely agree the record's strength lies in its characterful limitations and rootsy moods. Across seven professional reviews the album earned a 71.14/100 consensus score, with reviewe

Reviews
7 reviews
Last Updated
Jun 24, 2026
Confidence
73%
Scale
0-100 critics
Primary Praise

No specific tracks from GREY are discussed, so the review cannot identify a best song.

Primary Criticism

No specific tracks are mentioned, but the review praises GREY’s bluesy, rootsy country numbers as the album’s best direction.

Who It Fits

Best for listeners looking for blues and roots, starting with DOWN BELOW and THIRD TIMES A CHARM.

Standout Tracks
DOWN BELOW THIRD TIMES A CHARM GOODBYE CALIFORNIA

Full consensus notes

Kiefer Sutherland's GREY arrives as a weathered, talk-sung collection that leans into personal storytelling and rural grief, and critics largely agree the record's strength lies in its characterful limitations and rootsy moods. Across seven professional reviews the album earned a 71.14/100 consensus score, with reviewers noting that Sutherland's vocal restraint often functions as texture rather than handicap and that the lyrics about loss, memory, and movement anchor the record's emotional core.

Critics consistently point to a split between a plainly elegiac first half and a darker, more experimental second half. Standout tracks frequently cited by reviewers include “RAGE IN ME”, “AMERICAN FARMER”, and the brooding pair “DOWN BELOW” and “THIRD TIMES A CHARM” - while “GOODBYE CALIFORNIA” and “COME BACK DOWN” surface in multiple narratives as hooks that marry plainspoken lyricism to sharp guitar work. Professional reviews praise the record's blues and roots undercurrent, and several critics point out that the celebrity crossover never overwhelms the music; instead the album reads as a modestly successful negotiation between country, Americana, and occasional rock-tinged grit.

While some reviewers find parts of GREY cautious or uneven, the consensus suggests it is worth listening for its evocative storytelling, moments of genuine experimentation, and a handful of memorable tracks that translate well in live performance. For readers asking whether GREY is good, the score and multiple reviewers' endorsements position it as a respectable, sometimes compelling addition to Sutherland's musical catalogue and a record that rewards attention to its quieter, darker details.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

DOWN BELOW

1 mention

"from "Down Below" onwards we see an eclectic selection of songs"
Sputnik Music
2

THIRD TIMES A CHARM

1 mention

3

GOODBYE CALIFORNIA

1 mention

"Inspired by Sutherland’s decision to leave the state after 35 years, it works as a bittersweet farewell"
Hot Press
the closing track, 'Rage In Me', Sutherland maintains a restrained approach... the finale feel like a release of built-up frustration
H
Hot Press
about "RAGE IN ME"
Read full review
2 mentions
78% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

COME BACK DOWN

2 mentions
10
04:24
2

AMERICAN FARMER

2 mentions
29
03:52
3

GOODBYE CALIFORNIA

1 mention
62
05:12
4

SIMPLER TIME

0 mentions
02:38
5

STARLIGHT

0 mentions
03:18
6

CRUEL WORLD

2 mentions
33
04:23
7

DOWN BELOW

1 mention
100
05:07
8

THIRD TIMES A CHARM

1 mention
81
03:54
9

THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN

1 mention
23
03:03
10

RAGE IN ME

2 mentions
52
04:43

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 11 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

The review does not discuss songs from GREY directly, so there are no best songs to single out from this text. As such, readers seeking standout cuts like “COME BACK DOWN” or “GOODBYE CALIFORNIA” will need to consult a music-focused source rather than this piece.

Key Points

  • No specific tracks from GREY are discussed, so the review cannot identify a best song.
  • The review's core strength is detailed film analysis and vivid descriptive language, not musical critique.

Critic's Take

Watching Kiefer Sutherland bring GREY to life in Shepherd’s Bush is surreal yet rewarding; the reviewer keeps returning to the album’s bluesy, rootsy country feel as its chief merit. The voice throughout is conversational and approving, noting that the celebrity factor never overwhelms the music, and that makes the best tracks - especially those steeped in blues and roots - land as genuine crowd-pleasers. For readers hunting the best songs on GREY, the concert’s energy suggests the album’s more blues-inflected numbers and country shenanigans stand out as highlights. The overall tone sells the record as an entertaining, enjoyable evening translated from studio to stage, recommending listeners sample the rootsier cuts first.

Key Points

  • No specific tracks are mentioned, but the review praises GREY’s bluesy, rootsy country numbers as the album’s best direction.
  • The album’s core strengths are its convincing live energy and blend of blues and roots-country that keep celebrity aside.

Themes

blues roots country celebrity crossover live performance
70

Critic's Take

Kiefer Sutherland's GREY unfolds like a patient confessional, and the reviewer's voice lingers on the album's best tracks as emotional anchors. The review singles out “COME BACK DOWN” for opening the record softly and setting a reflective tone, and it frames “AMERICAN FARMER” as a standout for its topical grief and specific lyric about keeping the farm alive. The momentum of “GOODBYE CALIFORNIA” is praised for its sharp guitar work and bittersweet farewell, while “CRUEL WORLD” is noted as a welcome rock-tinged switch-up. Overall the reviewer presents these songs as the clearest evidence that GREY may be Sutherland's strongest lyrical work yet.

Key Points

  • The best song is “AMERICAN FARMER” for its topical grief and specific lyric about keeping the farm alive.
  • The album’s core strengths are personal, coherent storytelling and strong instrumental moments that build emotional momentum.

Themes

personal storytelling loss and grief rural struggles reflection and farewell
Sputnik Music logo

Sputnik Music

Unknown
Unknown date
68

Critic's Take

I remain blunt: most celebrity music is boring, yet on GREY Kiefer Sutherland finally pulls off moments that matter. The first half offers competent storytelling on “COME BACK DOWN” and “AMERICAN FARMER”, but it is in the second half - particularly “DOWN BELOW” and “THIRD TIMES A CHARM” - where the tenebrous, experimental shift gives us the best tracks on GREY. The record risks more than his past work, trading paint-by-numbers americana for claustrophobic textures and oddball vocal choices that actually add character. For listeners asking what the best songs on GREY are, it is those darker, adventurous tracks that reveal Sutherland as a more interesting songwriter than before.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) are the darker, experimental tracks like "DOWN BELOW" because they mark a creative shift and add claustrophobic energy.
  • The album's core strength is trading paint-by-numbers americana for risk-taking production and expressive vocal experimentation.

Themes

celebrity musicianship skepticism americana vs experimentation darker, experimental second half vocal limitation turned into character
Mojo logo

Mojo

Unknown
Unknown date
60

Critic's Take

Kiefer Sutherland arrives as a proper country storyteller on GREY, and the best songs on GREY prove it. The reviewer's voice lingers on “Come Back Down” for its haunting dustbowl atmosphere and devastating line, and on “American Farmer” for its Steinbeck-like dignity. “Goodbye California” is praised for its country-rock warmth and themes of escape, while “Starlight” closes with a deliberate, moving hush that left the audience ecstatic. These are the best tracks on GREY because they marry plainspoken lyricism with evocative musical moods, making Sutherland feel at home in country music.

Key Points

  • “Come Back Down” is the best song for its haunting atmosphere and emotional lyric that gripped the audience.
  • The album’s core strengths are plainspoken, reflective songwriting and credible country-rock arrangements.

Themes

loss movement memory rural struggle reflection

Critic's Take

The review does not evaluate GREY as a record and never discusses specific songs from Kiefer Sutherland's album, so there are no best songs or best tracks on GREY identified here. Paste Staff focuses entirely on Netflix trailers and films, not the music on GREY.

Key Points

  • The review contains no discussion of individual songs, so no best song can be determined from this text.
  • The review's core strength is film and trailer analysis, not album or track critique.

Critic's Take

The review contains no discussion of tracks from GREY, so there are no identified best songs on GREY to highlight. Without any mention of Kiefer Sutherland's track titles such as “COME BACK DOWN” or “GOODBYE CALIFORNIA” in the text, the critic offers no basis to rank or praise specific tracks.

Key Points

  • No individual tracks from GREY are discussed, so no best song can be determined from this review.
  • The review focuses on another artist and lacks commentary on Kiefer Sutherland's album, offering no evidence of strengths or weaknesses for GREY.

Critic's Take

In a steady, unsparing voice the reviewer traces how Kiefer Sutherland in GREY shapes a searing central performance that anchors the piece; the review praises raw realism and steady direction while highlighting emotional high points, focusing on scenes and characters rather than specific tracks.

Key Points

  • No specific tracks are named as standouts; the review focuses on performances and direction rather than songs.
  • The review’s core strength is its praise of raw realism, strong acting, and steady direction in portraying prison life.