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 pressured backdrop. Around these tracks, the album moves as one piece rather than separate moments. Themes circle around love, loss, memory and a sense of collapse, without ever fully resolving. It stays in that inbetween space, where things don't quite settle. The artwork comes from Francesco Goats, known for his work in Xerox art, adding a visual layer that fits the tone of the record. With The Gray, NEVER moves into a more open phase, where collaboration plays a bigger role and the overall direction feels more defined, without losing the edge of earlier work.