You can bring me flowers baby...when I'm dead and gone.

On first listen of Till The Sun Turns Black you might be tempted to pity Ray LaMontagne and feel the overwhelming want to hand him a hanky. But don't. You might stifle this creative, soulful genius and the world would be a bit darker for it; as if the Sun did indeed turn black. So often pain is the inspiration for brilliant music and that's the case with much of Ray's music and this offering in particular. And believe me when I tell you that Ray LaMontagne knows a little something about the pains of life. Born to a groupie mother and an abusive, alcoholic musician father who often left his "mark" via cigarette burns, Ray's formative years were spent traveling with his mother and five siblings of various fathers living the life of a nomad. They would go wherever the shelter was...be it in the backyard of friends and family, in a bus or even a chicken coop. He's said that he was an oddball and an outcast and that trouble always seemed to find him which is not surprising to anyone who has met the shy, self effacing man. What intrigues me most about Ray's story is that he wasn't a natural performer. With the kind of raw talent that he possesses in surplus, one would think that he's been singing and playing all his life. Interestingly enough he discovered his passion for music as an adult; upon waking one morning to Stephen Stills' "Tree Top Flyer". The song lit a fire in Ray that was inextinguishable and he promptly quit his job at a Maine shoe factory and began to seek out a career in music and has been sharing his gift with a growing number of fans ever since. His life's story is one of the reasons I have been so drawn to what is now his life's contribution. What a triumph to come from poverty and misery to seek out your passion and live it. Amazing. Inspiring. Courageous.

I truly believe that reflection is key to any well lived life and it feels from the sound of this disc that Ray has taken some time to do just that over the past few years. From the moment I pushed play, it was as if the song were speaking to me. It spoke to my own pain from past experiences recent and distant and wrapped them in a soft, warm blanket of comfort. If you're a long time reader then you know my theory on "right song/right time" and you will understand what I mean. In the way that KT Tunstall's "Heal Over" has a way of taking you in, finding the bruised parts of yourself that you seldom show the world and stitching the wounds so that the scars are less visible, the first track "Be Here Now" does that beautifully on this album. It has an uplifting, lingering quality that stays with you even after the 6 plus minutes of song is through. The gentle melody and the inclusion of the piano not previously featured on Trouble coupled with Ray's amazing vocals on this song help to set the perfect base for the entire album. The imagery and description that Ray uses on the title track, in the sullen "Empty" and on the delicate love song "Can I Stay" should put to rest any critics who may have doubted his songwriting ability and dubbed him a simpleton in that category of the art form. He's anything but mediocre in that department and he displays that throughout this effort.

The drums, electric guitar work, keyboards and tambourine on "Three More Days" have me uber excited for the shows in September. Having seen Ray live, I know how hard this genteel, quiet man can bring it and I am so ready...it's been too long. I'm also partial to the song for personal reasons but that's a story for another day. :-) I love the beat of "You Can Bring Me Flowers" and how he's utilizing the horns...this tune shows how Ray has evolved in the two years since his debut. I like that he's embracing and exploring his jazz influences with this piece. While listening to this ditty I could have sworn I was in the darkened corner of a hazy coffee house several decades ago. It's an awesome blend of sounds and if I had to give it a name, I'd call it jazzy blues. I like that...jazzy blues. If I had a gun to my head and HAD to choose a favorite genre of music, I bet it would fall under that umbrella. "Gone Away From Me" also has a throwback feel...like it was written in the wrong decade. I would be willing to bet that this song will break your heart in concert. I've often said Ray could sing the newspaper to me and I'd be in heaven and that's true; there are moments in "Hold You In My Arms", "Hannah" and "Burn" on Trouble that literally tear me in half and leave me breathless and in awe. Eight tracks into my first run, I was in fear that we wouldn't hear any of those really down and dirty, from the gut, slap you in the face, cut you to the bone vocals (You know the ones we SCREAMED out in unison at the Gypsy, Shanna!) that I love so much but then "Lesson Learned" and "Till The Sun Turns Black" came on and I breathed a sigh of relief. On these cuts moreso than any others you feel the emotion of the music...it's substantial and tangible and I adore that.

If there is anything missing from the album it would be that Ray's trademark sandpaper vocals are lacking and should have been more prominent on several of the tracks. Whether the decision to mellow this album down was Ray's or came from a production standpoint is irrelevant...I know I'm not the only fan who was expecting to hear more from him vocally and I hope that he makes up for that in his live performances. His voice is unique and beautifully flawed and should have been given more attention on many of these songs. The instrumental track, "Truly, Madly, Deeply" could have been scrapped altogether and been replaced with a studio version of either "You Should Belong To Me" or "Heaven Is A Honky Tonk" and I would have been a little happier. Not that the song isn't lovely because it is...it just feels completely misplaced on this album.

All told, Ray blew another one out of the water with Till The Sun Turns Black and most assuredly has not fallen victim to the Sophomore slump. Pick it up when it drops on August 29th. It will be money well spent. For those of you in the Tulsa area, tickets go on sale for Ray's show at the Cain's on July 14th and Guster is opening so it's going to be FANTASTIC. Get your tickets early...it'll sell out.