Ray Lamontagne – God Willin
Ray LaMontagne’s voice is like sea salt caramel: smooth, thick and sticky, with a little bite. Some people think it’s a bit too much; others can’t get enough. In his previous albums, the Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter has tried different wrappings for that instrument: He’s gone dark and moody; mimicked the manly chug-a-lug of his inspiration Stephen Stills; and put some horns on it, edging into retro-soul.
Nothing’s worked perfectly. But on this new effort, self-produced at home with his touring band on hand, LaMontagne made the good decision to not worry much about packaging. “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise” has a natural feel, comfortably ranging from bar-band rave-ups to contemplative acoustic numbers, with master pedal steel player Greg Leisz leading several tracks into the expertly unfussy territory of blue-chip Nashville country rock. Read the full Review
Esperanza Spalding – Chamber Music Society
A classically trained bassist, Esperanza Spalding made her jazz debut in 2008 and became something of an overnight sensation, with bookings on Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel and an invitation from President Obama to perform at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and concert. As its title suggests, her new album draws on both her jazz and conservatory impulses. The result is an intimate, heady mix. Read the full review
NOFX – The Longest EP
“The Longest EP” is for fans of NOFX. Outsiders just wouldn’t get it. Plus, if you’re into punk and don’t already know NOFX, you seriously better wake up and smell the Valuum (lame joke, sorry).
It’s been referred to as the sequel to 2002’s “45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records”, and all other NOFX EPs are going out of print on release of this album.
The artwork itself is a gift from the piss soaked Gods. It features a person or item from every one of the band’s previous releases, including Nubs, Timmy the Turtle, the nurse from “Pump Up The Vallum” and the George Bush clown. It was created by the genius behind the “Longest Line” EP artwork. Read the full review
