While we generally eschew the bigger names in the folk music industry (and are there any bigger than Ray?) for the smaller acts for a lot of different reasons, there are times when certain high profile artist merit some attention. Ten years after Lamontagne released Trouble, he’s released Supernova, which marks his biggest departure to date. While that’s in no way a bad thing, if you’re looking for traditional Ray, you’d be best to stick to what you’ve got. If you have an open mind (and happen to be a fan of The Black Keys), this Dan Auerbach record might be just what you’re looking for.
While Trouble stands as one of the preeminent folk albums of the last 20 years (maybe ever?), Supernova is not that. What it is is an album that shows that Lamontagne is more than just a scratchy voice and a guitar. This album has a little bit of everything on it from rock to folk to even a little jazz. It’s an interesting and really good mix and shows a new cool side of majesticly bearded troubador. As an example, here’s “Supernova”, the first track off the new album. Enjoy!
