New Ray LaMontagne! “Let It Be Me” (studio)

I’m a big sucker for the heavy exhalation.

When I first heard that weighty sigh of breath that hangs in the room to start this first new Ray LaMontagne song (from his upcoming Gossip In The Grain), I smiled wide to myself.

Once it cues up and that voice starts singing, I was texting gushing and effusive words to my friend Bodie who found it for the listenin’– something to the effect of “!!!! o dear heavens how i love ray!” That evocative voice is enough to make grown men weep — and for my money, no one nails that husky, gorgeous, smoky, bluesy sound exactly like Ray.

Let It Be Me – Ray LaMontagne
(alternate SaveFile link)

Gossip In The Grain is out September 30th, and Ray just announced tour dates yesterday with the lovely Leona Naess, including a stop at Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on October 27th and the gorgeous art-deco Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA a few days later. Seeing Ray live in San Francisco in 2005 still ranks as one of my top spellbinding concerts ever.

RAY LAMONTAGNE & LEONA NAESS TOUR DATES
Sept 30 – Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Oct 1 – Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
Oct 3 – Union Theatre, Madison, WI
Oct 4 – State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 6 – Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
Oct 7 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON
Oct 9 – Opera House, Boston, MA
Oct 10 – Opera House, Boston, MA
Oct 11 – Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
Oct 13 – Keswick Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Oct 14 – The Strathmore Music Center, Washington, DC
Oct 16 – Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh, NC
Oct 17 – Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN
Oct 18 – The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
Oct 19 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Oct 21 – Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
Oct 23 – Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX
Oct 24 – Majestic Theatre, Dallas, TX
Oct 25 – Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX
Oct 27 – Macky Auditorium, Boulder, CO
Oct 28 – Murray Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 30 – Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Nov 1 – Spreckels Theatre, San Diego, CA
Nov 3 – Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
Nov 5 – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR
Nov 6 – McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR
Nov 8 – Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC
Nov 9 – Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle, WA

Many tickets on presale now