RAY LAMONTAGNE : LONG WAY HOME

1. Step Into Your Power
2. I Wouldn't Change a Thing
3. Yearning
4. And They Called Her California
5. La De Dum, La De Da
6. My Lady Fair
7. The Way Things Are
8. So, Damned, Blue (Instrumental)
9. Long Way Home

Label : Liula Records

Release Date : August 18, 2024

Length : 31:32

Review (Written In Music) : Voordat we er erg in hadden is Trouble, dat zo machtige ‘debuut’ van de Amerikaanse Ray LaMontagne, dit jaar alweer twintig jaar oud. Heel productief was hij na dat debuut niet echt want zijn nieuwe album Long Way Home is pas zijn negende, maar aangezien het wachten bij hem altijd weer uitstekende albums oplevert zij het hem vergeven. Ook Long Way Home heeft in songs weer die fijne tijdloosheid die zijn werk zo interessant maakt. En die uit duizenden herkenbare stem is en blijft zijn grote troef. Wat een krachtige intensiteit en emoties maakt zijn stem toch altijd los. Een stem die met elk album meer soul in zich draagt. Heerlijk hoe hij gelijk met Step Into Your Power het album in volle soulmood opent. Wat een verrukkelijk uptempo opening voor een album dat verder een vooral ingetogen akoestische sfeer heeft en waar zijn stem al net zo imposant klinkt. Bijgestaan door The Secret Singers klinkt hij in Yearning mooier dan ooit. LaMontagne heeft zo’n herkenbare hand van songschrijven dat je met het beluisteren van elk nieuw album gelijk meegaat in de sferen. Even later ontdekt dat die zo toegankelijke songs steeds weer fijne dieptes kennen, ontzettend veel muzikaliteit in zich hebben. Tegelijkertijd ontzettend veel muziekmaakplezier herbergen. Luister naar My Lady Fair, wederom zalig soulful, en je begrijpt wat ik bedoel. Opvallend ook hoe hij zijn helden eert: eerst Neil Young in het fraaie And They Called Her California en even later Stephen Stills in The Way Things Are. De sfeer van de songs is overduidelijk die van zijn helden, met LaMontagne’s stem maakt ze gelijk volledig eigen (het horen van Treetop Flyer van Stephen Stills was ooit LaMontagne’s reden om zelf muziek te gaan maken, red.). Long Way Home is wederom een LaMontagne plaat die je gelijk in je hart sluit. Al helemaal als hij na het instrumentale So, Damned, Blue (of is het de instrumentale aanzet tot?) weer even vol raakt met de schitterende titelsong die het album afsluit. Long Way Home is met nog geen 32 minuten natuurlijk aan de korte kant. Tegelijk zullen er dit jaar weinig albums uitkomen met een warmere gloed en emotionele innemendheid als Long Way Home.

Review (When The Horn Blows) : Lamontagne’s ninth entry see’s him at his most reflective, positive and very best. His 70’s rock inspirations are crisp and clear, whilst staying true to his origins. The Grammy award winner has returned with his ninth studio album ‘Long Way Home’ and right from the off you get this sense of pride and positivity within his work. Ray says “Thirty years later it occurs to me that every song on Long Way Home is in one way or another honoring the journey. The languorous days of youth and innocence. The countless battles of adulthood, some won, more often lost. It's been a long hard road, and I wouldn’t change a minute. It took me nine songs to express what Townes managed to say in one line. I guess I still got a lot to learn.” Album opener ‘Step Into Your Power’ is a feel-good track that oozes positivity. It’s a track all about seizing the day, with a lovely call and response guitar lick that rings throughout the song. What also sets this single apart is the rich choral backing from The Secret Sisters, which enhances the song's uplifting message. Their harmonies intertwine beautifully with LaMontagne’s voice, creating a soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate. The interplay between the different vocal layers adds a soulful depth to the track, elevating it beyond a mere pop hit and grounding it in heartfelt authenticity. Next track ‘I wouldn’t change a thing’ is a bit more back to Lamontagne’s roots but still carries on that theme of warmth and positivity from the first track with a song about having no regrets, no matter what happens in life. The song embodies a bittersweet sense of serenity, celebrating the beauty of life’s journey, with all its twists and turns. LaMontagne's signature raspy vocals are both comforting and poignant, infusing the lyrics with an authenticity that invites introspection. As he sings about having no regrets, the listener is enveloped in a gentle reminder that every experience - good or bad - shapes who we are. The message is universal and relatable, encouraging acceptance of life’s unpredictability. In fact, this theme of positivity and reflection is evident throughout the album. ‘Yearning’ is a charming track. The opening lines, “watching that evening sun go down, within that darkness I will be found,” set a serene and contemplative tone. LaMontagne's ability to paint vivid imagery with his words is on full display here, transporting us to a moment of quiet reflection as day transitions into night. There's a certain tranquillity in this imagery, suggesting that even amidst uncertainty or darkness, there is a sense of comfort and familiarity. LaMontagne's acoustic guitar work shines, laying a gentle yet powerful foundation for this track. The instrumentation is perfectly balanced, allowing his vocal performance to take centre stage. It’s also Lamontagne’s ability to make an album weave effortlessly through track to track is outstanding and really takes the listener on a journey. Second to last song “So Damned Blue” is a wonderful instrumental. From the moment the song begins, the listener is transported to a world of introspection. The gentle strumming of the acoustic guitar sets a reflective tone, while subtle piano undertones weave in and out, providing an added layer of complexity. LaMontagne’s ability to create a rich soundscape without overwhelming the listener is commendable. Each note resonates with emotion, evoking a sense of nostalgia that lingers long after the song has ended. This leads the track nicely into one of the lead singles from this album, and final track ‘Long Way Home’ is about childhood, and elegantly encapsulates the essence of the entire album, by highlighting such a powerful theme about positivity, and reflection, making it not just a fitting conclusion, but a profound statement on the journey we all undertake from youth to adulthood. Ray Lamontagne’s return is a joy to behold, with effortless excellence ringing true throughout the record. This is most definitely his most reflective, and honest work to date. But that makes this record a privilege to listen to, as the album as a whole is so positive to listen to. This album makes for a perfect end of summer listen.

Review (Hotpress) : The inspiration for Ray LaMontagne’s reflective ninth album was a line in Townes Van Zandt’s ‘To Live Is To Fly’: “Where you been is good and gone / All you keep is the getting there”. “It took me nine songs to express what Townes managed to say in one line,” deadpans LaMontagne. “I guess I still got a lot to learn.” He needn’t worry, as Long Way Home is a masterful record of timeless songwriting that doesn’t sound like an album from 2024, rather like a hidden gem that has lain in a Bay Area basement since the early ’70s, only discovered when new owners moved in. ‘I Wouldn’t Change A Thing’ is a countrified reflection on a life well-lived and a dearth of regrets, complete with aching slide guitar solo and an effortlessly catchy singalong that harks back to the heyday of Paul Simon, both with and without Art. ‘The Way Things Are’ is all finger-plucked guitar and aching vocal; this is as good a song as LaMontagne has ever produced, again featuring shades of Simon in the melancholy and longing as he insists “You can be free”. ‘Step Into Your Power’ is a joyous anthem of empowerment and encouragement, yet behind the catchy acoustic singalong is a gospel belter waiting to let loose. ‘Yearning’ is a slow, earnest statement of intent, the singer insisting, “I will face my fate, standing tall”. The Nashville twang and harmonica on his ode to the Sunshine state, ‘And They Called Her California’, is reminiscent of Neil Young in his ’70s pomp, while the slow and sad title-track has echoes of JJ Cale, regret dripping from every syllable. It may clock in at just under 32 minutes and include two instrumentals, but what it lacks in length, Long Way Home more than makes up for in quality.