Ray Lamontagne - "Trouble"
(RCA, 2004) * * * *
SAMPLE 1: Ray LaMontagne - "Trouble"
SAMPLE 2: Ray LaMontagne - "Narrow Escape"
SAMPLE 3: Ray LaMontagne - "Forever My Friend"
Ever since Damien Rice broke onto the scene in 2003, there's been a new wave of excellent singer-songwriters ready to ride the coattails of the folk revival. There's something different about Ray LaMontagne, setting him apart from the crowd; something which makes owning his debut album "Trouble" a necessity for anyone who has an affinity toward the genre. LaMontagne is already impacting the genre in a way one normally doesn't see from a newcomer. In several interviews I conducted this semester his name cropped up as a musical influence. Which really says something amazing about the quality of his body of work.
Perhaps it’s the cinematic nature of much of the album. Songs like "Narrow Escape" bring to mind pictures of old westerns as we listen to a thoughtfully crafted lyric about the plight of Lejos (a drifter who murdered a man) and Mary (the woman who loves him enough to die in order for him to escape the police)"
Well, they came without warning
In the hours before morning
They come blasting through the windows and walls
And when the smoke it did clear
Somebody cried out, "He ain't here!
Killed ourselves a woman, that's all."
It's a wrenching song that leaves me with goosebumps every time I hear it.
Then there's the title track, which brings up comparisons to Van Morrison's elemental songwriting style and provides an immediate hook. Try not to sing along as he belts out the addictively simple chorus: "I've been chaaaaaaanged ... by a woman!" Trust me, it's not going to happen. This is an album that will grab you from the start and not let up; by the time you're finished listening you'll want to cite him as an influence yourself.
It'll be interesting to see whether Ray LaMontagne's blend of Van Morrison and Cat Stevens survives the sophomore slump: will his folk sound find a place in today's radio-oriented industry, or will he be a fringe artist, respected by many and heard by few? As it stands, however, Trouble is an impeccable debut by an artist you should expect to be hearing from for a long time.
SAMPLE 1: Ray LaMontagne - "Trouble"
SAMPLE 2: Ray LaMontagne - "Narrow Escape"
SAMPLE 3: Ray LaMontagne - "Forever My Friend"
Ever since Damien Rice broke onto the scene in 2003, there's been a new wave of excellent singer-songwriters ready to ride the coattails of the folk revival. There's something different about Ray LaMontagne, setting him apart from the crowd; something which makes owning his debut album "Trouble" a necessity for anyone who has an affinity toward the genre. LaMontagne is already impacting the genre in a way one normally doesn't see from a newcomer. In several interviews I conducted this semester his name cropped up as a musical influence. Which really says something amazing about the quality of his body of work.
Perhaps it’s the cinematic nature of much of the album. Songs like "Narrow Escape" bring to mind pictures of old westerns as we listen to a thoughtfully crafted lyric about the plight of Lejos (a drifter who murdered a man) and Mary (the woman who loves him enough to die in order for him to escape the police)"
Well, they came without warning
In the hours before morning
They come blasting through the windows and walls
And when the smoke it did clear
Somebody cried out, "He ain't here!
Killed ourselves a woman, that's all."
It's a wrenching song that leaves me with goosebumps every time I hear it.
Then there's the title track, which brings up comparisons to Van Morrison's elemental songwriting style and provides an immediate hook. Try not to sing along as he belts out the addictively simple chorus: "I've been chaaaaaaanged ... by a woman!" Trust me, it's not going to happen. This is an album that will grab you from the start and not let up; by the time you're finished listening you'll want to cite him as an influence yourself.
It'll be interesting to see whether Ray LaMontagne's blend of Van Morrison and Cat Stevens survives the sophomore slump: will his folk sound find a place in today's radio-oriented industry, or will he be a fringe artist, respected by many and heard by few? As it stands, however, Trouble is an impeccable debut by an artist you should expect to be hearing from for a long time.
posted by Jonathan Sanders @ 2:25 PM
2 Comments:
I read your review on the Low Millions cd today and I completely disagree with you. #1, his lyrics are good and the sound to me has a different feeling than most bands. Also i've seen them live and they have a great stage prescense and sound great. Anyways, I was excited to see someone reviewing it until I read the article. "I needed to perform an enema on my brain." ???? What the hell does that mean buddy. One other thing I thought was interesting, was that it was considered a recent release, when infact it came out in November of 2004. So I just wanted to leave a complaint for you because I feel that it was wrong to say such harsh things about a band you know very little about.
Anonymous,
I appreciate that you felt strongly enough about this to post on my blog. I had high hopes for this album based on their song Eleanor, but when listening to the album as a critic, my job is to be honest. By telling you all exactly how I felt about the album, I'm keeping myself honest, and by providing links to music, I'm letting you make up your own mind to agree or disagree.
I hope you'll keep reading, but I offer no apologies. Just remember, whether I like or hate your favorite artist doesn't have to affect your feelings about them. Who knows, perhaps they'll even release something in a second album that will make me change my mind.
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