In an era of such accomplished songwriters as David Gray, Damien Rice and Ryan Adams, Nashua, New Hampshire-born troubadour Ray LaMontagne stands out with a quiet intensity, some very sharp storytelling skills, and an uncanny knack for blending coffeehouse intimacy with roof-raising soulfulness. His distinctive ragged whisper of a voice is a remarkable instrument, capable of delivering his emotionally charged material with seemingly effortless finesse.

LaMontagne’s personal story is as compelling as his writing. The child of a musician father he barely knew and a mother who gave him and his siblings a kind of vagabond upbringing, Ray was supporting himself with a day job in a shoe factory when his clock radio woke him one morning to the sounds of Stephen Stills’ “Treetop Flyer.” That song hit LaMontagne as both epiphany and revelation, and before long he was out of the shoe business — playing guitar and writing and recording his own songs. After years of honing his craft in small, unglamorous venues, he scored a publishing deal that gave him the chance to work in a proper studio with producer Ethan Johns. The resulting album, 2004’s Trouble, connected deeply with listeners, and the sweeping, neo-soul title track served as a powerful announcement of LaMontagne’s arrival on the music scene.

LaMontagne reteamed with Johns for 2006’s Till the Sun Turns Black, effectively muscling up his mostly acoustic sound with Stax-style horn sections on tunes such as the single “Three More Days.” In 2008, LaMontagne worked with Johns once again to create his third album, Gossip in the Grain. On that effort, LaMontagne stepped away from his solo, multi-instrumentalist approach to get more of a full band sound, recording with his touring back-up players Eric Heywood (guitar) and Jennifer Condos (bass).

Provenance: Nashua, New Hampshire

Latest Release: Gossip in the Grain (2008)

© 2008 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.

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