With his first single (and self-titled album) Trouble from 2004, singer / songwriter Ray Lamontagne immediately acquired the image of a pained man. An impression that was further perpetuated by the dark, introverted successor Till The Sun Turns Black, which was released two years later. His melancholic side is still fully present on his third album Gossip In The Grain, but for the first time Lamontagne
… also shows other sides of his personality. He shows himself shamelessly sentimental in the loving opener You Are The Best Thing and he brings a funny aubade to Meg White, the drummer of The White Stripes. Musically there are few surprises, Lamontagne moves as always between his acoustic singer / songwriter mode and idioms from the blues, country and soul. What Lamontagne has in store for countless others is that priceless, gritty voice, which is both tough and vulnerable. A rare original that works on an increasingly impressive oeuvre. (MS)more
