Ray LaMontagne @ Radio City Music Hall, NYC - pics

Photos by Eric M. Townsend

On his third long-player since emerging four years ago from the New England wilderness, folk-soul lumberjack Ray LaMontagne breaks from his own proven formula, goosing his delicately ragged croon with bright r&b horns (“You Are the Best Thing”), spaghetti-western whistles (“Meg White”), and Black Crowes-style Southern-rock guitars (“Henry Nearly Killed Me [It’s a Shame]”). Whereas, in the past, longtime producer Ethan Johns kept the sonic clutter to a minimum in order to spotlight LaMontagne’s remarkable vocals–Ray is somebody you wouldn’t mind seeing with only an acoustic for accompaniment–here the pair construct an in-studio ecosystem nearly as elaborate as Lambchop’s. [The Village Voice]

Ray LaMontagne‘s new album Gossip in the Grain is out this week. On Saturday night (Oct 11), Ray played Radio City Music Hall in NYC. More pictures from that show below…