Music review: Ray LaMontagne 鈥� 鈥楳onovision鈥�
I always find a calming comfort from listening to a Ray LaMontagne album. From 2004鈥檚 鈥淭rouble鈥� to 2018鈥檚 鈥淧art of the Light,鈥� LaMontagne repeatedly strikes a sentimental chord that sparks memories of joy, love and simpler times.
The eighth release from the singer-songwriter is yet another passionate collection of heartfelt arrangements saturated with intimate musings, making it one of his finest efforts to date.
鈥淩oll Me Mama, Roll Me鈥� opens the set with the New Hampshire native offering up a tender acoustic ballad about the search for a meaningful love as LaMontagne declares, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a shadow life/I want the clouds, the sea, the sky, the real things.鈥�
鈥淚 could sing you a song/Play you a tune/I know it鈥檚 just a little thing, but it鈥檚 something I can do,鈥� declares LaMontagne as he looks for ways to give back to someone who has displayed consistent compassion through both the good and bad times. 鈥淚 Was Born to Love You鈥� is a simplistic masterpiece of experiencing meaningful love with LaMontagne professing, 鈥淛ust wanna give back a little bit of what you give me.鈥�
On 鈥淢isty Morning Rain,鈥� hints of Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell embrace LaMontagne鈥檚 haunting lyrics as man becomes one with the wonder of nature.
鈥淗ad our share of the pain/Of the clouds and the rain/Lean on me and I鈥檒l lean on you/And together, we鈥檒l get through,鈥� softly sings LaMontagne on 鈥淲e鈥檒l Make It Through.鈥� While it might be a beautiful declaration of love, this moving ballad also carries a significant message of the times by reminding us that together we can overcome anything.
鈥淗ighway to the Sun鈥� brings the album to a soulful close as LaMontagne outlines the journey to feel something real before it鈥檚 too late as he confesses, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know where I鈥檓 going/I鈥檝e got miles and miles yet to run.鈥�
With many miles left to run, LaMontagne will certainly have plenty of opportunities to charm his fans with more well-crafted compositions on life, love and experiencing a purposeful existence.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.