The Bottom Line
Pros
- "Empty"
- "Barfly"
- "Can I Stay"
- "Till The Sun Turns Black"
- "Within You"
Cons
- None.
Description
- Ray LaMontagne is as much a skilled lyricist as he is a vocalist.
- Eleven more great songs from one of the most promising contemporary songwriters.
- Beautiful arrangements, complete with strings and horns.
Guide Review - Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black
Listening to Ray LaMontagne's latest album is like napping in dewey grass as a whimsical sunshower falls. There's something magical about music like this that can just pick you up and transport you to exactly where you want to be, and LaMontagne seems to do so effortlessly.His last effort only seemed to produce one big hit of a song for him – "Trouble" – which was no disappointment, of course; but suffice it to say that Till The Sun Turns Black will carve him a far more memorable niche in the folk-pop world.
Sometimes, for a moment, his songs can bring to mind everything from Ray Charles to early Chicago, Steven Stills, and Cat Stevens.
With "Empty," he showcases his ability to write a straight-up contemporary folk song about isolation and regret. Later on "Can I Stay," he seems to expound more on this theme, but this time with a little less isolation and a little more romance.
Then there are the songs like "Three More Days" and "You Can Bring Me Flowers" that slyly flirt more with old school folk-blues. The instrumental "Truly, Madly, Deeply" leads smoothly to the mind-shaking title track, with lines like, "Every breath you take's eternity until the sun turns black."
In line with his folk-pop contemporaries – men like Iron & Wine and Amos Lee – Ray LaMontagne delivers 11 songs that are just as haunting together as they are on their own.
