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Rating: * * *
After two albums of elegant abject misery, the gravel-voiced American singer-songwriter has not only cheered up - he's geared up too. Those taken by the stark, lonely sound and instrospective slant of his previous albums will find this one a little confusing right from the start when La Montagne starts off by fronting a brassy Van Morrison-styled soul outfit on You are the Best Thing.
While halfway through, Meg White, his Beatlesque ode of devotion to the drummer of the White Stripes ("Meg White, you're all right/in fact I think you're pretty swell"), is simply hilarious for the fine line it runs between unrequited adoration and stalker-by-song.
But there is still plenty of good old late-night glum-of-heart Ray, whether it's the pastoral folk of Sarah and the title track, the torch soul of Let It Be Me, the acoustic psychedelia of I Still Care for You or the forlorn country of A Falling Through.
But the banjo-jollity of Hey Me, Hey Mama almost inspires tap-dancing and the hearty blues stomp of Henry Nearly Killed Me can make you wonder if Ray has maybe had one good-mood swing - and two stylistic gear-shifts - too many.
Russell Baillie
