Courtesy of last.fm
Thanks to the wonders of Pandora radio, I have discovered many new, folk artists. A quick creation of a station titled “Iron and Wine” radio offers many new rough but soothing voices. One singer that has earned considerable “likes” on such stations is Ray LaMontagne.
LaMontangne’s first album, “Trouble,” which was released in 2004, is my favorite of the four he has released. “Trouble” opens with the titular song, a rugged, bluesy song with simple lyrics. The album continues much in the same way with the rest of its tracks. Each song is similar in style but unique in its tune, unlike early Iron and Wine albums where all tracks are pretty similar.
Later on the album, the song “Shelter” has lyrics that will choke up even the coldest of hearts. This song is a great example of a break-up-but-still-in-love song that doesn’t go overboard with the cheese. “Listen when all of this around us’ll fall over / I tell you what we’re gonna do / You will shelter me my love / And I will shelter you.”
Don’t get me wrong, I love Iron and Wine. LaMontagne’s album is just a little more energetic. It’s something I would put in my car for the long drive home for Thanksgiving and be ready to listen to it again on the trip back. Both are great for homework or chilling out after a long day. A quick Pandora search and anyone can discover this fantastic chill-out artist from New Hampshire.
Sanguinetti is a member of the class of 2015.
