Ray LaMontagne does the raspy voice better than anyone else in the business. It doesn't seem forced or fake. And it surprisingly works for soulful ballads, rockers, and good old barnyard stompers alike. With his third album, Gossip in the Grain, Ray and his rasp work their way through his most sonically diverse offering to date. While once again working with producer/drummer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon), this is the first album to feature members of LaMontagne's live band, which gives it a more authentic feel. This isn't just a guy in a studio multi-tracking over himself.
The opening track is a frolicking ode to better halves that feels like a tribute to Van Morrison rather than a rip-off. LaMontagne cries out, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me," while a horn section and backing singers deliciously respond to his calls. The album really opens up with the wispy sonic collage "I Still Care for You," highlighted by a vocal cameo from songstress Leona Naess and a complimentary 6/8 rhythm. The song has a nice ethereal quality not often found in LaMontagne's previous work, thanks to the presence of some tasty reverb and airy slide guitar.
Ray then gives us a sample of a good old-fashioned backwoods Maine hootenanny with the banjo-tinged "Hey Me, Hey Mamma." The sing-along chorus could easily permeate any backyard campfire gathering of LaMontagne fans. The most out-of-place track on the album is "Meg White," a campy ode to a sunset stroll with the White Stripes drummer. Musically, the song is a fitting tribute to The White Stripes' sound, complete with Meg's trademark 'simultaneous kick and snare' drum beat. However, the song's nursery school lyrics, such as "Meg White/ You're alright/ In fact I think you're pretty swell/ Can't you tell", are more off-putting than charming, as they are presumably intended to be.
Although LaMontagne fans will surely lap up this new offering, the album doesn't have enough quality content to really sustain the interest of new listeners. Despite some refreshing forays into different genres, the overall feel of the album can me somewhat monotonous; at one point there are three songs in a row in the same time signature and with similar tempos. Still, it's a step in the right direction for the songwriter who feels he was "tagged immediately as some kind of blue-eyed soul" after his debut album four years ago.
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