New Hampshire-born singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne experienced an epic breakthrough following the release of his debut album ‘Trouble’ in 2004. While the album provided to be a slow burn, it rose up the charts to number 5 here in the UK and the title track garnered LaMontagne plenty of attention. The success of that record saw his music used widely in TV shows and films, and it paved the way for LaMontagne to score more commercial success with his next few albums. With 8 studio albums under his belt, it’s been 4 years since fans had a new record from LaMontagne.
The wait is now over as the singer-songwriter recently unleashed new album ‘Long Way Home’, his first since parting ways with long-time label home RCA. The 9-track collection is produced by LaMontagne with Seth Kauffman (Lana Del Rey), and it features background vocals from The Secret Sisters on a handful of tracks. Across the record LaMontagne charts the ups-and-downs of both his career and growing older, acknowledging the experience and the wisdom that it brings.
The upbeat soulful ‘Step Into Your Power’ opens the record and LaMontagne’s distinctive vocal pulls the spotlight. A throwback to the 70s, the song has a hippy optimistic vibe that pushes it along over the course of three and a half minutes. Life affirming and a reality check about what’s important in life, the song eases you into the record nicely. “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing” is a contemplative reflection on the life you’ve lead and the feeling that you’d follow the same path if you have your time all over again. In a world where people freely express regrets about their lives, it’s refreshing to hear someone at peace with the decisions they’ve made.
If you’re looking for another ‘Trouble’, you won’t find one on this record. That soul-wrenching song, which has become LaMontagne’s signature, is never bested here but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to enjoy. On the stripped-back folk leaning ‘Yearning, LaMontagne’s voice shines as brightly as it ever has, while on the clumsily titled ‘La De Dum, La De Da’, acoustic guitar strums and a distant beat give way to ethereal hushed vocals for the album’s most unusual moment.
‘My Lady Fair’ picks up the beat again and to my ear it sounds like a live recording. It’s LaMontagne doing what he does best – connecting with the listener and allowing his voice to resonate with every word he sings. ‘The Way Things Are’ is driven by an acoustic guitar riff that Fleetwood Mac would be proud of as LaMontagne deconstructs the smoke and mirrors nature of fame and the entertainment industry. The album’s title track is left to close the record, and it’s lyrically one of the more abstract moments. It’s a moody end to an album that’s filled with personal moments, and a sharp contrast to the album’s joyous opening.
Ray LaMontagne is one of the most distinctive male voices in music and hearing him never fails to send a tingle down my spine. Is this the best record he’s ever made? No, it’s not but it’s something a little bit different from what we’ve heard before. There’s no attempt to make a commercially accessible record, just a collection of songs that have depth and meaning. ‘Long Way Home’ marks the start of LaMontagne’s journey as an independent artist and his fans will find plenty to unpick and explore.
Track list: 1. Step Into Your Power 2. I Wouldn’t Change a Thing 3. Yearning 4. And They Called Her California 5. La De Dum, La De Da 6. My Lady Fair 7. The Way Things Are 8. So, Damned, Blue 9. Long Way Home Record label: Liula Records / Thirty Tigers Release date: 16th August 2024 Buy ‘Long Way Home’ now
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