Gossip in the Grain
October 18, 2008
RAY LaMONTAGNE
If the Ray LaMontagne we met on 2004's "Trouble" came off as a beaten man, beautifully broke down and busted, full of longing and regret, the one who returns to us on "Gossip in the Grain" is smiling and ready to have at least a little fun. Of course, never more so than when pining for Meg White during her namesake track, on which LaMontagne has us envisioning the pair biking along the sea shore—atop a crude White Stripes rhythm, no less. More importantly, the swinging, banjo-driven "Hey Me, Hey Mama" is a lighthearted joy, the rare tune where the fun being had in the studio is audible and immediately contagious. Elsewhere, LaMontagne warmly delivers more of the vivid relationship stories he's built a career on. While there's not a bad one in the bunch, once you've heard LaMontagne loosen up, you're left starving for more of it.—Wes Orshoski
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