SOD: Ray LaMontagne "Empty"

There's no flash to this guy. No light show or theatrics. He's stripped down to the bare, acoustic music, and I think we need more of this kind of performer today in the mainstream. The music does the talking, not his outfits or even his mouth, in between songs that is. This is what music is supposed to be about.

Regardless of whether or not you like Ray LaMontagne's music, you have to respect his story. At least I think you do. The youngest of six, Ray grew up very poor and was raised by a single mother. After graduating high school, he moved to Maine to work in a shoe factory. Not quite the glamorous life of a rockstar, but his heart was always with music, he just didn't have a means to the end. Ultimately though he quit his job after being inspired by the Stephen Stills album Manassas, and recorded a 10-song demo that he began playing live around bars in his area. Eventually he was noticed, and he went on to begin his music career at the age of 26.

There's a lot that's interesting about Ray's story, like the fact that you're never too old to start a new career in the arts (look at Steve Earle), and that influences are everything in art. There's very little (if anything) out there that's absolutely brand new. Instead, most of what we tune into is remakes and retakes on old styles and ideas. I mean people like Jack White are still rewriting the blues in their own way, and though it's original material, it's based off of the same stuff that's been around for decades. Because of this, an artists inspirations are really the key to understanding their music. What came before will, to a degree, largely tell you what's to come from a certain artist.

Nick Drake, Stephen Stills, The Band (especially Richard Manuel and Rick Danko), Van Morrison, and Tim Buckley are some of the major influences that Ray LaMontagne has. You can really hear bits and pieces of each of them, while at the same time you notice that Ray does have a style all his own. He's a story teller, much like Van Morrison was, and his lyrics are very visible and organic. He's got a strong grasp on cadence, and this coupled with his well written words, give songs like this one a very powerful edge. Again, you don't have to like the music to at least understand that its honest and genuine and to me, that's first and foremost for a good song or record.

Ray also covers a lot of ground. He has some of these darker folk songs, but as his career progressed he started making use of horn sections, and really built his sound out. Another one of my favorites is "You Are The Best Thing", a feel good song with a simple message and an uplifting chorus. "Three More Days" also has a bigger sound, but is reserved when it needs to be. It highlights his smokey, gravely voice which resonates both ways with people. Some love it, some find it a little too perfectly raspy. I think his voice and the song are a nice blend between the folk and the soul, as I find his albums are as well. Obviously I'm a fan, but you have to make your own call. I would just recommend you listen to as much of the full breadth of his collection as possible, before you make that decision.