Photo courtesy of Big HassleRay LaMontagne’s “Gossip in the Grain” was released Oct. 14.Often compared to Van Morrison, Otis Redding and Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter LaMontagne, 35, represents the current folk rock scene. His raspy, mature voice resonates over every track, and his mellow instrumentation makes “Gossip in the Grain” a romantic collage of melodies perfect for an afternoon drive.
The album is the first of LaMontagne’s to feature members of his touring band, guitarist Eric Heywood and bassist Jennifer Condos.
The first track and LaMontagne’s first single off the album, “You Are the Best Thing,” takes the listener back in time to the R&B and soul sounds of the ’60s. With horns and a female backup singer, LaMontagne would have been a hit swinging his hips on American Bandstand with Dick Clark. “You Are the Best Thing” is a surprising first track, considering how different it is from the rest of the album and his past work, but it is a success nonetheless.
“Let It Be Me,” “I Still Care for You” and “Winter Birds” encompass the same relaxing, lullaby aspect of many Damien Rice songs, but have more lyrical value. “I Still Care for You” is one of the album’s most valuable assets, as LaMontagne sings as if he is whispering a secret to his lover in a dark room.
“Winter Birds” has some of the most interesting lyrics on the album and displays LaMontagne’s nature inspiration. He poeticizes the changing of the seasons as he sings, “Though all these things will change / the memories will remain / as green to gold and gold to brown / The leaves will fall to feed the ground / And in their falling, make no sound.”
“Meg White,” another one of the album’s surprises, is a confession of love for White Stripes drummer Megan White. In the song he admits he is infatuated with her drumming technique and invites Meg to watch the sunset and ride bicycles by the seaside with him. While not the most profound and moving song in the world, it is definitely different and quite adorable.
LaMontagne tries his hand at country in “Hey Me, Hey Mama.” Horns, banjos and an acoustic guitar accompany his vocals and it is the albums only track likely to be skipped. While the song is a good attempt at experimenting with another genre, the lyrics end up sounding redundant and are irritating by the end.
“A Falling Through” is the most solemn track on the album and singer Leona Naess lends supporting vocals to create harmony in the chorus. In the lyrics, LaMontagne helplessly questions why a certain individual had to pass away and take a piece of his soul. He comes to the realization of life in the line, “This of life I know is true / it’s all a falling through and so I reach for you.”
The title track “Gossip in the Grain” is another nature-inspired track. LaMontagne sings as if he is a bird gossiping with a fellow bird about the coming winter and the old, unpleasant crow. The song also features a flute solo between verses, adding to the earthy nature of the track.
The album as a whole is a massive success for the folk scene because of LaMontagne’s songwriting talent and ability to interpret his surroundings and inspirations. His confidence in stepping outside the acoustic-centered box and taking risks on the album is commendable.
Kristen Duwe can be reached at [email protected].
