MUSIC: Ray LaMontagne, <em>Gossip in the Grain</em>

By Danny Nordstrom

Thursday, October 30, 2008

When a musical artist produces a unique blend of sounds that combine to form one distinguishable style, it’s something special. Unfortunately for artists like Ray LaMontagne, having a good sound doesn’t necessarily mean that every work is of the same quality.

Gossip in the Grain, LaMontagne’s latest release, isn’t a bad album, but it certainly lacks the originality and creativity that propelled the musician to his current status. LaMontgne’s smooth yet raspy voice combines with the rich tones of his acoustic guitar to produce tranquil and sometimes soulful melodies on Gossip in the Grain. Obviously, the music itself isn’t the problem—it’s simply the song structure and originality here that are missing.

Songs like “Sarah” and “Winter Birds” have potential to be great tracks, but the actual substance behind them is not there. Whether or not this is because of the production work of the album is unknown.

While the album is definitely not LaMontagne’s best, it does have some good tunes. LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing” is a lively mix of trumpet and smooth electric guitar sounds that accompany LaMontagne’s tremendous voice.

Also good is “Hey Me, Hey Mama.” The song has a ragtime feel that incorporates a banjo into the mix. Its lyrics aren’t anything special, but LaMontagne’s voice is sharp and strong.

LaMontagne fans should check out Gossip in the Grain, but newcomers to the artist should look to earlier albums like Trouble on which LaMontagne is truly at his best.

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