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Sunday Music Spotlight - Ray LaMontagne

June 8, 2008 in Music, Spotlight by Sean | No comments

American folk singer Ray LaMontagne
Apparently I’m way behind the rest of the world when it comes to discovering Ray LaMontagne. I only heard of him last week, while the rest of the world has known about him since his single “Trouble” hit the charts in 2006. Regardless, now that I know about him he’s gained a huge fan.

Raycharles LaMontagne avoided music throughout his childhood. His father was a traveling musician, a fact that led to his mother leaving his father. Consequently Ray pursued activities other than music. It wasn’t until after high school, while he was working in a shoe factory, that he heard Stephen Stills’ “Treetop Flyer” on the radio and something clicked in his brain. He decided to quit his job and pursue a career in music.

LaMontagne quickly discovered two huge assets: his uncanny ability to write evocative and accessible lyrics, and his unmistakable voice. That voice has been compared to Van Morrison and Tim Buckley, but to me it’s completely unique. At times it’s raspy and rough. At others it’s smooth and gentle. In either case it conveys great emotion and depth.

Ray released his first album, Trouble, in 2004 to great critical success, and surprising commercial success. His followup, Till the Sun Turns Black, hit in 2006, and showed tremendous growth from his debut.

Ray La Montagne - You Can Bring Me Flowers

A jazzy, bluesy tune that sounds about 40 years older than it actually is, “You Can Bring Me Flowers” shows how LaMontagne is growing as a musician. It’s miles away from the dusty folk songs on Trouble. It’s a really good song, but I have to admit, the first thing the horn part brought to mind was Mike Myers’ beat poetry in So I Married an Axe Murderer…

Ray La Montagne - Jolene

“Cocaine flame in my bloodstream. Sold my coat when I hit Spokane. Bought a hard pack of cigarettes in the early morning rain.” Quite simply one of the best written songs I’ve ever heard. The construction, imagery, and evocative lyrics are simply perfect, and LaMontagne’s hardscrabble vocals are the perfect accompaniment.