Ray LaMontagne - "Trouble" (RCA, 2004) - * * * *
Ever since Damien Rice broke onto the scene in 2003, there's been a new wave of excellent singer-songwriters ready to ride the coattails of the folk revival. There's something different about Ray LaMontagne that sets him apart from the crowd; something which makes owning his debut album, "Trouble," a necessity for anyone who has an affinity for the genre. LaMontagne is already impacting the scene in a way one normally doesn't see from a newcomer: In several interviews I conducted this semester with other artists, his name cropped up as a musical influence, which really says something amazing about the quality of his body of work.
Perhaps it's the cinematic nature of much of the album. Songs like "Narrow Escape" bring to mind pictures of old westerns as we listen to a thoughtfully crafted lyric about the plight of Lejos (a drifter who murdered a man) and Mary (the woman who loves him enough to die in order for him to escape the police)"
Well, they came without warning
In the hours before morning
They come blasting through the windows and walls
And when the smoke it did clear
Somebody cried out, "He ain't here!
Killed ourselves a woman, that's all."
It's a wrenching song that leaves me with goosebumps every time I hear it.
Then there's the title track, which brings up comparisons to Van Morrison's elemental songwriting style and provides an immediate hook. Try not to sing along as he belts out the addictively simple chorus: "I've been chaaaaaaanged ... by a woman!" Trust me, it's not going to happen. This is an album that will grab you from the start and not let up; by the time you're finished listening you'll want to cite him as an influence yourself.
It'll be interesting to see whether Ray LaMontagne's blend of Van Morrison and Cat Stevens survives the sophomore slump: will his folk sound find a place in today's radio-oriented industry, or will he be a fringe artist, respected by many and heard by few? As it stands, however, Trouble is an impeccable debut by an artist you should expect to be hearing from for a long time.
Low Millions - "Ex-Girlfriends" (Manhattan Records, 2004) - DUD
One has to wonder what Leonard Cohen thinks of his son's first album. I had hoped to find something to enjoy in "Ex-Girlfriends," the Manhattan Records debut of Adam Cohen's "open relationship" of a band (his words, not mine). Instead, I was reminded why I used to follow a simple rule: don't buy the album unless you've heard more than one song.
Perhaps Adam took a page out of the Five For Fighting songbook, and thought fans would forgive him for focusing too much on the hooks and not enough on the lyrics. As the album progresses, we spiral into the mind of Cohen as he spews out (in dark paranoid bursts) his entire sordid relationship history. On "Diary," he sings: "I used a screwdriver, I couldn't find the key ... I had to know your secrets, the thoughts you keep from me. I read how you resent me and even dreamed that I was dead. You said you thought that I'd look stunning with a bullet in my head!" The song itself sounds catchy, but it doesn't work on repeat listens. Rather, Cohen's writing comes off as self-indulgent voyeuristic sludge.
By the end of the album, I wished I hadn't wasted $15 on it. Listening to the album's closing track "Nikki Don't Stop" (on which Cohen sings: "Hotter than a stolen Rolex, hotter than late night phone sex, hotter than the back seat of a black jeep on a back street ... oh, Nikki don't stop!") sums up the entire listening experience. I felt like I needed to perform an enema on my brain. Don't waste your time on this one, folks.
Music Fans: To hear music from albums featured in "In My Headphones," visit http://inmyheadphones.blogspot.com.
Local Bands: Want your music featured in a future installment of IMH? Email jonathansanders@justice.com.
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