Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain
A record that may break him to wider critical acclaim and convert new fans, but falls short due to a combination of inconsistency and self-indulgence.
With 'Gossip In The Grain' Ray LaMontagne has almost conjured a record that may break him to wider critical acclaim and convert new fans, but falls short due to a combination of inconsistency and self-indulgence.
Throughout the record there are moments of surprise as the musical backdrops are much more interesting than might be expected; the smooth brass on album opener and lead single 'You Are The Best Thing' shows the way, and the further brass and string parts improve the songs immeasurably. 'I Still Care For You' is a definite highlight, LaMontagne's pared-back rasp drips with reverb upon a track of swirling, swimming, hymn-like ethereal beauty. However these exercises beyond the standard acoustic guitar and voice set up don't always come off, the prime offender being the knowing wink of 'Hey Me, Hey Mama' with its jazz infused hoe-down outro.
Where 'Gossip In The Grain' really falls down though is in the length of the songs, most of which could do with 90 seconds shaving off them rather than a final chorus. 'Winter Birds' for example trundles on for 6 minutes 20 seconds and it feels like it. There is a tendency on much of the album to hammer home the chorus, LaMontagne mistaking repetition for catchiness. The title track manages itself is much better for its brevity and for a great nostalgic flute refrain.
The skipping 'Sarah' sounds like something from Harry Nilsson's soundtrack to Midnight Cowboy, however, again LaMontagne falls into the trap of sacrificing brevity for toil. The cowboy stomp of 'Meg White' is much better though, LaMontagne unearthing a heathly sense of humour to pay tribute not just to Meg's physical charms but also her drumming style: "Meg White, you're alright/in fact I think you're pretty swell, can't you tell". Despite the child-like lyrics it is good fun and especially pretty when it breaks into a harmony-drenched slower section.
Listening to the record a lot still depends on how you feel about LaMontagne's trademark rasp (it sometimes sounds as is he is singing directly from his throat and bypassing his mouth altogether) and the lyrical terrain is still very much that of broken and/or newly fixed relationships. 'Gossip In The Grain' is truthfully a much better record than many would have anticipated and could change many people's perceptions of the bearded troubadour. However it still falls into over-earnestness, and at times is just a bit boring, sadly. It's just hard to shake the feeling that this is the kind of music that Edith Bowman finds deep.
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