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Sweet Baby Ray Ray


There are timeless voices and then there's Ray LaMontagne's voice. I have no doubt that if it were 1972, our grandchildren in 2008 would still be spinning Ray-Ray's vinyl like it was hot off the press. This voice is like a fine gravel, practically sand, practically ash it's so smooth. This voice lays down like steaming asphalt, making the imperfections in this world into perfections. It is renewal and hope and revival.

Ray LaMontagne remains a fringe star despite his incredible chops, finding his home in the excited whispers of word-of-mouth, soundtracks and mix-tapes. For now. With every album like Gossip in the Grain and song like "Let It Be Me", Ray is threatening to kick that door wide open. His voice is a time-traveller from a borrowed era, here to educate your ears on the meaning of heart and soul. It's a lesson that'll have your grandchildren swaying in their chairs 30 years down the road.

Listen:
Sarah
You Are the Best Thing
[from Gossip in the Grain|buy]
*links fixed

1 Comments:

Blogger scottb211 said...

I agree wholeheartedly. Every time I listen to his music, I feel like I've been transported to another time and allowed to enter a secret club, a smoky place with high-priced drinks and long-legged women, and I'm NOT the whitest guy in the room.

Is it too early to say he is the Van Morrison of our generation?

7:13 PM  

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