Ray LaMontagne Dazzles With "Supernova"

Today's let's shuffle the iPods to adult contemporary artists.Nashua, New Hampshire's Ray LaMontagne deftly occupies an effervescent world of his own with "Supernova". One of the best things I can point out is you're transported deep through space without leaving ground. He's made good use of the entire range of keys. Vocally his style lands in the ballpark of a James Blunt although I doubt the song is memorable enough to get overplayed like "Beautiful" did in 2006. His chops are husky, manly, not to mention totally focused on the dizzying kaleidoscopic voyage. As "Supernova" hurtles through space he's comfortably ensconced in one set of chords which do a good of helping us to mellow out. I advise you not to let the familiarity of his upbeat range lull you into a comfort zone. Down the road a pace there's a lightning fast sequence that this video accentuates nicely. Ray's got you hooked but has the sense to shake you by the shoulders to demonstrate how committed to winning you over he is. While at the piano he's teddy bear gentle. He'll drop notes in with the delicate grace of newly drifted snow. Yes, bad image if the 2013-14 winter has had you screaming for the season of shoveling driveways to please end. Ray has a pretty solid respect for the folk genre he belongs to. In fact his brand of whisper soft dreamy floating cloud delights puts in good company with '70s stalwarts like James Taylor, Harry Chapin, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Each of those acts combine an earthy friendliness with serious adult content, in Mr. Chapin's case the bittersweet apple doesn't fall from the tree motif. Harry's protagonist discovers that the son he didn't have time for way back when is now too busy to check in himself. The lyrics are the stuff of starry eyed nights and delicate physical contact. How often have we as listeners been returned to two souls who want to escape whatever one horse town they're confined to. Ray has his lady on a steep pedestal. Regardless of whether that's out of uncommon devotion or the need for unconfined fantasy escapism is unimportant. I doubt many women would be insulted with a comparison to a supernova. Such a woman likely has grace, energy in each phase of a relationship, as well as those intangibles that many a head coach can tell you can often times help win whatever game we weekend warriors are observing. The album of the same name comes our way in May. As the old rhyme goes, "April showers bring May flowers". In this case I wouldn't say pretty posies are on top but a dazzling view of two people in love taking that breathless flight through the passion cruise heavens is. As a newcomer to LaMontagne's orbit I can without reservation claim that I detect quite a gentle giant milling around in there. I also can tell how it makes sense Stephen Stills is named by the man himself as being a prime influence. The drumming and fierce shifting of guitar sensibilties would make the Texas-based quarter of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young proud. "Supernova" is a song you sink into as the jacuzzi bubbles comfort your aching limbs. The deeper you immerse yourself, the zippier your mood becomes. At least for a shade under four minutes being earthbound isn't coming across as quite the same daft punchline. We can enjoy calm oases now and again.