Track Listing

1. Trouble
2. Shelter
3. Hold You In My Arms
4. Narrow Escape
5. Burn
6. Forever My Friend
7. Hannah
8. How Come
9. Jolene
10. All The Wild Horses

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1262 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-19
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Some singer/songwriters (think Paul Westerberg and Elliott Smith) develop their world-weariness through the unforgiving trials of passing years and the heart-breaking grind of the music business. Others (Van Morrison, Neil Young) seem to have sprung from out of nowhere with the fully formed soul of a life well-lived. Ray LaMontagne belongs with the latter. On this, his debut, LaMontagne has crafted a handful of quietly devastating meditations on life and love--and delivered them with a raspy vocal all his own. The simple, mournful lyrics of "Burn," "Shelter" and the title track recall a Hank Williams ballad, and the reserved production by alt-country/americana genius Ethan Johns (the Jayhawks, Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon) make this a great disc for smoky Saturday nights, and rainy Sunday mornings. --Ben Heege

CD Description
Debut album from US indie-folk singer-songwriter, who came to music in his late teens after an "epiphany" brought aboutby hearing Stephen Stills's 'Treetop Flyer' on the radio. The album is raw, sparse and ragged, heavily informed by the blues, country and folk, and has received favourable criticism including comparisons to Van Morrison, Hank Williams and Elliott Smith. Produced by alt-country supremo Ethan Johns (Jayhawks, Ryan Adams), it includes the singles 'Trouble' and'How Come'.

Customer Reviews

Oh My God!!
I am a nurse and work nights. When my radio alarm clock woke me today at 14.30 'Trouble' was what I heard. By 16.00 I was playing my own CD. I went out tonight for a meal but I could hardly get home quick enough (so sad, I know). It is now 01.30 and I'm still playing this fabulous CD.

There is some of the most heart achingly beautiful music here. Especially Ray LaMontagne's honey toned voice and his sensitive and intelligent lyrics, and I know it will be a favourite of mine for a very long time.

It starts with 'Trouble' and I braced myself for disappointment as I couldn't imagine it getting much better, but it does, there's not a single track I don't like. Other reviews have drawn comparisons with Van Morrison, Bob Dylan etc and it's all true, but please don't think it is dated.

I feel as if I have waited for quite a few years for a gem like this to come along and I can't wait for his next.

Sometimes, Rarely, You Can Trust The Ads
It's a risky business, trusting TV advertising. You could end up buying any number of useless items. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of music, where it is safe to assume that 97% of albums advertised on TV are pure, unadulterated rubbish. Countless R&B compilations, unstoppable series of "Essential" Trance collections. When oh when does it end?

It ends now. If you're looking at this, it's probably because you've seen an advert for Ray Lamontagne's "Trouble" and realised that perhaps it's not the next in a long series of boil in the bag hi-fidelity sacrilege. Perhaps it's good.

It's hard to tell from the advert, because you only hear a snippet of a chorus, but "Trouble", both song and album, could be the slow-burning hit of the year. It's a record with such appealling folk brilliance that it would be hard to imagine anybody but the most hard-hearted of cultural buffoons not enjoying it. Indeed, I have rarely been so excited by every single track on an album that I listen to the whole thing again as soon as it comes to an end.

Lamontagne's voice is a glorious thing - rough edged, raw and flagrantly, excessively powerful. Does he use a microphone? Perhaps he sings from the next room to avoid damaging the audio equipment in the studio? But alongside such power is a delicacy, and wonderfully poetic touch that brings pleasing contrast to his songs.

And what excellent songs. Each track stands out, a neat and perfect study of love, confusion, and more often than not the affirmation that life in all it's craziness is a wonderful thing. You'll find yourself smiling, singing along before you even know that you remember the words.

Don't take my word for it though - trust the advertisers this once and buy it for yourself. You'll be glad that you did.

Amazing
All the other reviews are bang on - this guy is simply amazing. His voice is so easy to listen to and heartfelt. "Hannah" sounds very Bob Dylan to me (Planet Waves - There's something about you"), but I can hear early Neil Young too. My CD arrived last Thursday morning and it hasn't been off the player once. I just can't get enough!!