Continuing with my folk artists, I actually just stumbled across Ray LaMontagne recently. While I have heard the song “Trouble” before I never really had given a second thought about the artist who actually sang it. Then of course I was watching some commercial not too long ago and heard the song again, and decided that this guy has a pretty unique sound to his voice, thus I gave him a shot and was pleasantly surprised. I understand that this group of listeners are not as heavily into the folk genre, I am however not a quitter and am hoping that at some point one of my artists will touch a nerve with all of you at one time or another.
After reading up on Ray, I found out that he is not unlike so many of us in that he had a strong dislike for school and just did enough to get by. His father was a musician in his own right, but left the family when Ray was just a child, thus giving Ray distaste in music all together. After graduating high school he started working in a shoe factory, until one fateful day when he apparently heard the Stephen Still’s song “Treetop Flyer” on the radio. Something touched a nerve in Ray and from then on he put aside whatever ill feelings he had towards music and it became his new reason for being.
For me the main appeal to Ray’s music is his raspy voice and heartfelt lyrics. In every song he sings, it seems that he is pouring his heart out, and I really appreciate the fact that he shows so much attention to each one. A word to the fella’s if you are looking for music to play to your woman, this would be top notch on my list. From many of the reviews I read about his albums the main word that came to mind was “sexy.”
This week I just wanted to introduce you to yet again another artist that is up and coming, and has a sound unique to only himself. While most songs are on the mellow side, I think everyone will enjoy the fact that there is a few times when you may actually be bobbing your head or tapping your feet.
Albums
1) Trouble (2004)
2) Till the Sun Turns Black (2006)
3) Gossip in the Grain (2008)
I had very little exposure to Ray prior to this week. The only song I had heard was ‘Trouble’ and it just makes me think of that commercial where the dog buries his bone and can’t sleep at night thinking about the cat stealing it from him. Upon re-listening to trouble, I can instantly hear what Beth talked about in how he pours his heart and soul into each song. It sounds so effortless with him too, kind of like this year’s idol contestant, Lee Dewyze. As I go through the rest of the album, I have trouble focusing as the pace of these songs is very slow for me. I can definitely see why this appeals to Beth and I am surprised she had not stumbled across Ray sooner. Ray’s voice is typically the focal point of each song and not so much the instrumentation. Because he has such a powerful delivery, I tend to focus on the lyrics themselves and not so much the music. ‘Narrow Escape’ was a very disturbing song despite its tone. It is about a convict who comes home to his woman to say goodbye, but the authorities come to the house to bust him, but kill his woman accidentally. Lejos ‘narrowly escapes.’ ‘Burn’ was a very interesting take on losing a loved one to another man. I am not exactly sure what ‘burn in my skin’ means, but I am guessing that he is willing to just take the hurt as he watches his ex kiss her new man. Nonetheless, Ray’s voice really brings out the jealousy he is portraying in this song. ‘How Come’ was my favorite track on the album. Ray asks why all you see when you look around is a man killing another man killing another man… This falls right in line with my Ten Years comments and Tool’s Right in Two. ‘Jolene’ and ‘Hannah’ are both very unusual love ballads. I hope these aren’t the songs that put my wife in the mood as one speaks about how he has chosen a life of drugs and alcohol over his woman. Ray’s style, pace, and voice are right in line with Beth’s taste, but the lyrics themselves are actually quite dark and much more up my alley. There aren’t too many artists that are able to sing about depressing topics such as these yet leave you in a pleasant mood. Phil Collins is one of the few others that come to mind, in particular in Just Another Day in Paradise.
ReplyDeleteTill the Sun Turns Black starts out with a track that I enjoyed more than any on the previous effort. There is a vibe throughout the song that makes you feel as though there is a sense of urgency for Ray to tell the mate of interest that he is sorry and that he wants to make it right again. Empty is a pretty depressing song as Ray sings about his inner demons and how they have taken away from the blessings in his life. A lot of emotion in that subject. Three More Days is about upbeat as it gets for Ray and is meant to as he wants to portray how excited he is to come home to his girl in three days. While it comes off as a bit corny to me, the song accomplishes what Ray sent out to do. This is the first song that I have actually noticed any form of instrument with the exception of the harmonica in Empty. With a voice like Ray’s, I suppose you would want that to be the focal point. You Can Bring Me Flowers is an odd one that is a bit more upbeat, but sings about how his woman has left him for another man and he doesn’t want her pity. It has a James Dean kind of vibe to it, so perhaps he was going for a “I’m too cool for school’ kind of feel. I really disliked Gone Away From Me as he loses that drive and soul that he typically puts in his songs and it sounds like he is just reading a song someone else wrote for him. Lesson Learned was my favorite track on the album. He has chosen another woman, yet when confronted by his mate, he lets her cry her heart out while he feels she shouldn’t be surprised as he feels he has the right. He tells the story so well that you can picture the whole scene going down. A whole lot of cheating going on in his lyrics. Not sure how this would qualify as baby-making music.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I notice on Gossip in the Grain is the improved production and backing vocals. This really took away from Ray’s bread and butter as a recording artist. The song writing on You are the Best Thing is comparable to TLC in that he feels to just repeat the title literally 25 times. Let it Be Me and I Still Care for you both lack in song writing and start up with the repeating again. Fortunately Sarah came along and reminded me of his creative songwriting and story telling. This time the mandolin and violin actually added value to the song for me. Winter Birds sounds like it should be a country song as it is completely focused on living the simple life and it seems like someone bet him how many different animals he could name in within the song. Hey Me, Hey Mama is almost the same song, only more upbeat. After two more repeaters and a snoozer in Gossip in the Grain, Roses and Cigarettes was a nice refreshing track that gets back to the style I have come to enjoy from him. I don’t know what happened on this album, but the songwriting went to shit on this one and I felt his delivery suffered as a result.
I certainly enjoyed the first two albums much more than the last. He takes the typicall song topic of lost loves and puts his own unique twist. He tells a story that we don’t hear everyday and doesn’t always get the girl or doesn’t always want the girl. This unique attribute along with his exceptional voice really stand out. I look forward to selecting him in the future off of Beth’s iPod.
I am going to post tomorrow but skied Ashys comment where Lee Dewyze was mentioned which was funny because my only familiarity with Ray before now was Alex Lambert singing Trouble this season. Yeah. Google it.
ReplyDeleteThe song “Trouble” was the only Ray I was familiar with, from the dog commercial like Thomas; I have to be honest, the commercial does it no justice as it comes off repetitive and annoying. I was very pleasantly surprised when the title track of Rays debut is nothing like the sample size we get from the commercial. There is a soulful strain in Ray’s voice that would fit in nicely in a record collection between Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells A Story. Nothing is forced in his singing approach; every line flows naturally and the story he sings feels sincere. “Shelter” starts off as a standard folk tune until Ray brings in his sultry delivery and then it feels like a better adaptation of a David Gray song. There is a connection that Ray makes with his female listener as he expresses a need for love reciprocated on the track “Hold You In My Arms”. “Narrow Escape” is a detour from the ordinary love song where our lady in question is ultimately done-in by her devotion to the outlaw she loves. There is a harmony between the sunny guitars and Ray’s croon on “Forever My Friend” that is my favorite track of the album. On “Jolene”, Ray steps out and shows what amazing songwriting skills he possesses with a harrowing tale of love lost and a longing for self-identity. I am a fan of the folk genre and there is enough soul that you can also put this album under the category of R&B, either way it is a success and a very satisfying listen.
ReplyDeleteWith an already winning formula in place on his first album, I was intrigued to see how far Ray would step out of that comfort zone on Til The Sun Turns Black. “Be Here Now” is the first time I hear Ray not comfortable in his own voice, it didn’t feel organic like his previous work. The hushed vocals punctuate Ray’s soul-searching lyrics on “Empty” that, for me, serves as a sequel to “Jolene”. “Three More Days” is where the album really takes off, the organ and rhythm section are perfectly suited for Ray’s soulful delivery and shows an artist that can expand his sound without losing his identity. Another addition to his arsenal is the bluesy/jazzy “You Can Bring Me Flowers”, the roadhouse blues guitar mixed in with the simple horns exposes new layers of loss for this scorned lover. In between these new musical directions we get the Ray we know from his first album, in tracks like “Can I Stay” and “Gone Away From Me”. No words are needed for “Truly, Madly, Deeply” which dabbles in the jazz stylings of Grant Green. As much as Ray’s voice was the standout on Trouble, I feel this albums hallmark is the accompanying instrumentation. “Til The Sun Turns Black” is a stunning piece that forces a more introspective view on everyday life and the lives of those around us. The album ends with Ray’s message of hope, which is simple, but is welcome amongst an album with themes of loss. I liked the direction and growth of Ray as an artist here.
Sorry! We're still going to comment! Check this tomorrow, and sorry so late. ;(
ReplyDeleteBefore this week, as I said before, I only knew about this artist because Alex Lambert sang it on this season of American Idol. I liked Alex a lot, and didn't think he should have left anywhere near as early as he did.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I love this song, so it was a great intro to the week. I like his smoky-raspy voice and his vocal style.
I agree with Thomas that the pace this week was slower than I normally would have liked. That being said, Ray is one of those singers, for me, for you, for me (Randy Jackson) who could sing the phone book I love his voice so much - so that gets me through.
I like that violin part in "Hannah," which seemed like a great follow up to last week. I like how the music picks up on "How Come" and how he shows on that track what an old soul he is. I feel like that song could have come out in the 60s and fit in just fine. It was probably my favorite track outside of "Trouble." After "Trouble," I was hoping all this time for more soul and I never really got that - but "How Come" shows her versatility for me, where some of those other songs bordered on a little boring.
*his - my bad, a typo
ReplyDelete"Till the Sun Turns Black" takes a turn for the worse for me, with a track that sounds so completely different than what I loved about Ray on the first album. The instrumentals on "Be Here Now" overpower Ray's voice, which sounds less raw here in a bad way, and takes away from the artist what I perceived made him special in the first place. I don't know why I feel this way about the first track but that was my first impression that really hasn't subsided on subsequent listenings.
ReplyDelete"Empty" is a great improvement, although depressing as Justin mentioned. Here, that's a good thing because it allows him to get emotional. Still am not liking this as much as "Trouble" or even "How Come," but it's growing on me.
On "Barfly," Ray's voice sounds a little Iron and Wine to me, while the music is more The Shins. I see the direction he's taking here, but I really think he should have stuck with the whole blue-eyed soul vibe a la Jamie Lidell. (Speaking of... I might have to switch one of my picks here soon...)
Ah yes, it's almost as if Ray can read my mind. "Three More Days" is much more like it. While his folk efforts aren't terrible, his voice hits that soul sweet spot, and he's really doing himself an injustice when he's not singing this kind of vibe.
I would kill to hear this dude sing "Hallelujah." His voice and emotion would SHINE.
P.S. Jeff Buckley, Kate Voegele and even Jason Castro (AI) have done great versions of this song. Also, see Imogen Heap and AI 2010's trainwreck Tim Urban on this song.
ReplyDeleteAny song that Tim Urban can sing and not murder, well, Ray could blow it out the box.
"Gossip in the Grain." Hell yes - is it the 70s? It should be, busting out a groovy intro like "You Are the Best Thing." And that gospel choir in the background? Ray, you're in the sweet spot. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteThe album continues with the beautiful "Let it Be Me," which is slower, but not by any means boring. Kinda sounds John Mayer-eqsue to me actually.
I appreciate the twang and the haunting vibe on "I Still Care for You," but it was not one of my favorite tracks. (Might grow on me.)
Meg White must have appreciated the song written about her for its musical merit - because it's not a bad song - but it's really, really creepy. I'm assuming he had not met her at the point he wrote this song? Although this may read as a tribute to a fellow artist he has a crush on, it's kind of a stalker anthem. He's fantasizing about being with her... Listening to the lyrics, I can imagine him with his collection of hair locks stolen from girls he's loved in the past...
Ooh, a banjo! (Hey Me, Hey Mama)
OK, I'm going to wrap this up. I enjoyed Ray Lamontagne week, but I think the man is kind of all over the place. At times, he's a country singer backed by violin and banjo music. Other times, he's shades of Bob Dylan only modernized so he sounds more like The Shins or Iron and Wine.
The only place I really think he truly belongs is when he hits that soul sweet spot. Take a note from Jamie Lidell - white dudes that don't look like they would sound like that (all that soul voice and the gospel backup singers) are where its at. That's where he belongs.
I'll probably have to give this some further listening...
Yesterday, David and I agreed that Ray should do an entire R&B/Soul album like the first track off Gossip in The Grain. “You Are The Best Thing” is another reminder of why I love that old Detroit Motown soul that is making a resurgence with artists like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Mayer Hawthorne. His comforting tone on “Let It Be Me” is soothing but also has a vulnerability in its delivery. “Meg White” is very creepy, as Ray gushes about the White Stripes drummer; the drums on the track are reminiscent of Meg’s style. Ray pays homage to one of the greatest folk storytellers of all time with his Woody Guthrie influenced “Hey Me Hey Mama”. With some artists in this genre, there can be a problem of monotony but not with Ray; his sound is always shifting and Ray plays to his strengths. His passion for the words and the music is on full display in the steamrolling “Henry Nearly Killed Me”. As with the Avetts the week before, I have been introduced to an artist that I really enjoy and will continue to follow.
ReplyDeleteRay LaMontagne is a bit of a chameleon. He does a little bit of everything vocally, and some of these things are naturally better than others. I think he would do best to stick to the soul music area, as I think his voice is perfectly suited to this kind of thing. Really though, I think that if he had been around in the early 1970's, Ray would have been a gigantic star. He has many of the same qualities as the big names from that era had....it's just a shame he wasn't born earlier.
ReplyDeleteRay's debut album kicks off with the only song that I'd heard from him prior to this week, the self titled track "Trouble". I think I may have liked the song more if I hadn't heard it in the commercial before, but every time I hear it now it just reminds me of the dog. Ray does some nice things vocally in the song, and he shows off that soul rasp for the first time here. "Hold You In My Arms" is basically a carbon copy of "Trouble", and while it's a good song, it loses some points in my book for un-originality. On "Narrow Escape" I actually had to look at my iPod to make sure I hadn't somehow thrown a Ryan Adams song onto this album on accident, as Ray's voice sounds exactly like Adams' on this one, and the harmonica only adds to the similarities. "Forever My Friend" is a pretty beautiful love song, and is probably my favorite song on the album. The album needed something upbeat, and this was just the song to give it that kick in the pants. "Hannah" follows that song up nicely, once again reminding me of a song off of Ryan Adams' album 'Heartbreaker' (which is one of my favorites of all-time), as the female backing vocals reminds me a bit of those that the great Emmylou Harris added to a few of the songs on that album. "How Come" sounds completely ripped off of "Feeling Alright" by the band Traffic musically,to me, and while the guitar riff is nice, it's been done before. Ray's vocal performance coupled with the lyrics criticizing mankind for their way of life give the song a different feel, though, and it was another of my favorites in the end, despite once again being fairly unoriginal. Overall, the second half of the album was much better than the first, which in my opinion is usually a sign of good things to come for the artist on future releases. This one was a pretty solid listen, and a successful debut album, I just think that Ray had some growing as an artist to do.
'Trouble' Album Rating: 66%
'Till the Sun Turns Black' starts off on a completely different tone than Ray's debut album. For one, the upgrade in production values is very apparent right from the start. The swelling strings in the background give the song a nice atmosphere, and I think this kind of thing fits him pretty well. It's not his best vocal performance by a long shot, but compositionally this is the best song he's written to this point. Ray creates some amazing imagery with the words to "Empty", and the cadence to the delivery of his vocals is exceptional. This album starts out doing exactly the things that I hoped that it would do to follow the debut. "Three More Days" brings in that 70s soul vibe that I'd been hoping to see more of out of Ray, and it definitely doesn't disappoint....the horns on the track are great, and Ray kinda reminds me of Michael McDonald on the track. "Can I Stay" has a bit of a Paul McCartney'ish string arrangement, but it comes off as a little bit corny to me. "Gone Away From Me" kind of has a lullaby vibe to it with the guitar being played, and Ray kinda sings in a dreamy manner. "Lesson Learned" is an amazing song, and when Ray's voice gets louder during sections of the verses it almost gives me chills. The title track is completely gorgeous, and the mix between Ray's vocals and the swelling strings is perfect. He'll be hard-pressed to write another song as pretty as this one again. The album ends on a bit of positivity, which there wasn't a lot of throughout the rest of the album, but it was a nice way to close things out. This album was exactly what I was hoping for out of Ray LaMontagne, and this one might be what he's remembered for in the future....and it's not a bad thing to have people remember you by.
ReplyDelete'Till the Sun Turns Black' Album Rating: 74%
'Gossip in the Grain' begins with Ray's best song, "You Are the Best Thing"....a song that has Motown written all over it. Once again, if this one had been released in 1972, we'd be hearing it on oldies radio stations now....it would have been a massive hit. After this song, the next few tracks are pretty good, but really pale in comparison to the opener....albums like this that are really pretty good but place one massive song at the beginning that causes everything that follows it to lose a little something in comparison are difficult to listen to, sometimes, because you just want to go back and hear that first track again. Ray's voice in "I Still Care For You" is absolutely haunting, and finally gets me back into the swing of listening to this album again. This song has a sort of swooning, lazy beauty to it that I really love. Like everyone else has said, "Meg White" does kind of creep me out a bit, and the lyrics such as "baby you're the bomb" don't really fit Ray very well. On the other hand, the instrumentation to the song is very good, and saves it from being a total failure....the song is all over the place, though. "Hey Me, Hey Mama" goes REALLY old school, sticking us back into the 1940s and the days of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, and it was a very nice addition to Ray's sound. "Henry Nearly Killed Me" sticks with the old-time outlaw country sound, and a style that I never saw in Ray Lamontagne has shown to be one of the better musical masks that he's worn. You may not have known this about me, but just about any song that uses a steel guitar is a good one in my book. "A Falling Through" uses the steel guitar heavily, and it's definitely a good song, in keeping with my theory on music. "Gossip in the Grain" is another sleeping beauty of a song, and is a nice mellow way to close out what is my favorite Ray LaMontagne album to date. This one may not be the popular pick as his best album, but the vibe throughout was very good, and is one I'll definitely be listening to again in the near future.
ReplyDelete'Gossip in the Grain' Album Rating: 76%
In all, this was one of my favorite weeks of Music Togetherness, and Beth has definitely introduced me to an artist that I'll really be watching for in the future, as well as one that I'll be listening to his past releases fairly regularly as well. Ray LaMontagne's voice is amazing, and on his second and third albums where he paired that with some very good instrumentation, the results were fantastic.