Ray Lamontagne Part of The Light

There was a time when Ray LaMontagne was viewed as the heir apparent to Van Morrison or Jeff Buckley. Part of the Light shakes up those assumptions as the New Hampshire singer/songwriter balances the quiet, loud, and ethereal. Ray’s voice ripples and expands like a pebble splash in a quiet lake, so the vocal echo on “It’s Always Been You” adds a haunting contrail. “As Black as Blood Is Blue” hints that LaMontagne has some Metallica cassettes stashed in his attic. Meanwhile, the ballads here are gorgeously lethal. “Let’s Make It Last” might be Ray’s best one yet, perfect for a wedding first dance. The track represents the album’s exquisite beauty and message: Slow down and appreciate what’s truly important.

T Bone Burnett has created a wildly influential career as both a producer and singer/songwriter, helping to establish the foundation for modern Roots and Americana music. So, it comes as bit of a surprise to hear his latest – a collaboration with Jay Bellerose and Keefus Ciancia – an eclectic, experimental record mixing dance, electronica, trance and tribal drumming that sound little like Burnett’s past catalogue…