Gossip in the Grain is not Ray LaMontagne’s Finest, But it May Be His Happiest
By Beth in Entertainment, Classic Rock, Music, pop culture, Ray LaMontagne on October 14 2008
Blues Traveler frontman John Popper said it best a few years back when he likened his struggles with obesity to fueling the angst and consequently the power of his sound. Sad as it sounds, Popper recognized that in shedding lbs through gastric bypass, he had lost his drive. He was too happy to make good music.
The same might be said of the new upbeat Ray LaMontagne album, Gossip in the Grain which was released today. It’s as if overnight, LaMontagne sold out to music execs demanding more poppy overtures to fuel the likes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Grain’s songs are infused with a lighthearted cheery tempo. There are but a few songs worth listening to and it’s mostly stale. The one notable song (and no, it’s not the featured single on the album) is LaMontagne’s rather dour diddy about his quasi-freakish obsession with drummer Meg White. The song delivers us a piece of the Ray we fell in love with - all yearning and raw melancholy. It’s also probably the only genuine song on the album.
I give Ray a thumbs up on the taking chances bit with trying out a new, upbeat vibe. Hope is good. Now go back to making us sad and help us rediscover emotions we didn’t even know we had. We love that more.
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