My ears have been quite akin to the sounds of Ray LaMontagne - ever since his debut Trouble came out of left field and knocked my socks off, it's been extremely hard not to like the musician with a grizzly beard and soft voice. Although I wasn't a huge fan of his last album Till The Sun Turns Black, because I found it lacking that Ray spark (too much production, perhaps), his upcoming release Gossip In The Grain (out tomorrow!) looks to be a return to form. Aside from catchy new singles "You Are The Best Thing" and the daring "Meg White" , LaMontagne has once again crafted guitar-centered songs that showcase his vocal abilities and serene storytelling.
[MP3] Ray LaMontagne - Sarah
The new album spans across several different musical styles including pastoral folk, railroad blues, front porch country, and plangent balladry. After listening to Gossip In The Grain, I can affirm that every single one of those musical styles are in full effect throughout the album. It's a return to the Ray form everyone discovered via Trouble, a man with a bluesy-soft voice and his guitar; yet there are plenty of new tracks that pair him up with everything from slide guitars and trumpets to mellotrons and mandolins. If you've followed LaMontagne's career, from a bashful man playing heartfelt songs to an established solo act, you'll find that this album combines a fair balance of both familiar and unfamiliar. "Sarah" is the combination of all of the above but relies far more on LaMontagne's voice and lyrical abilities than it does musical instruments. Of course that's his bread and butter, telling slow churned stories over delicate music like a little kid tip-toeing around the house to avoid squeaking floorboards on Christmas morning.
Bonus [MP3] Ray LaMontagne - One Lonesome Saddle (Rare; old gem)
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Gossip In The Grain + Bonus Tracks!
12 comments:
Yes! I have been waiting for this forever! Amazing, thanks so much!!!
great review. also, he looks a little like Donald Sutherland in his prime (Kelly's Heroes), don't ya think?
yessss yes yes, i love this man. and i agree, til the sun turns black was a little disappointing. this sarah seems amazing.. perhaps a good sign of the album itself.
Yes, love the new album. I agree it covers much ground for styles. Truly the hushed vocal tracks are classic RLM. One of the best for the year.
Sman
Liked the Sarah song...but 9+ MINUTES? Kind of too much of a good thing don't ya think? And yes, he does look like Oddball.
^^ it's a 4:31 second track; you obviously loaded it twice. haha
You,
this artist,
everyone these songs touch
and inspire,
and all of those peoples friends
and families,
all their hopes and dreams,
everything they care about,
their favorite foods, books, blogs, records, and spouses,
will all die.
I love this album - it's easily his best yet.
This is what I think: Ray LaMontagne
saw this dude live. was not impressed. listened to his albums, was even less enraptured.
Yes, this is nice: "telling slow churned stories over delicate music like a little kid tip-toeing around the house to avoid squeaking floorboards on Christmas morning," but there comes a point when the slow-churned stories turn into droning sedatives...Other than the first two tracks, this album is nothing but shallow lyrics and empty phrasing repeated over and over on top of, ultimately boring music (except on the up-tempo songs, where it just sounds like he's way out of his comfort zone). Stick to what we love, more songs with catchy hooks and actual substance would be nice!
http://www.bryonmcdonald.blogspot.com/
Nice blog~
women.daai007.org
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