4

Trouble for some.

That Ray Lamontagne isn't to be confused with all they other singer-songwriters is he? Oh no, XFM got right behind him and he went to the trouble of growing a beard so he must be a class apart from your James Blunts, your Jamie Cullums and that other one, you know the one, the one with the gruff voice who thought he was so much different from all the other acts who sounded the exact bloody same. Oh wait, was that Ray Lamontagne? It's so hard to tell, and let's be frank, if you actually felt the need to tell them apart, then you need to do a lot more with your life.

Now then, he is well loved for the song 'Trouble' which wasn't to be confused with the Coldplay track of the same name. Ray's version was actually sprightlier than Chris Martin's dirge but that's hardly painting it in a favourable light that was one of the hand-writing fopp's poorest moments. And apart from that, it was hard to think what was commendable about the song. For starters, it sounded like Van Morrison, in fact, never mind for starters, that's enough to kill the conversation there, being Van Morrison is horrific enough but going out to sound like him, well, that's infinitely worse. So no, 'Trouble' wasn't a favourite round these parts.

And yes you should be crying, who cares about that, tell us all about 'Three More Days', the new song by Ray Lamontagne. If you must know, it sounds like Van Morrison. The horn section crackles in the back like a half-arsed Commitments tribute band. Squealing and singing in a croaky voice doesn't equate having soul, it's about what's inside as opposed to what you shove out there? And what's on the inside of Ray Lamontagne? On this showing, some Black Crowes albums and a book containing all the hairy American rock lyrics of the drug-addled 70's. It's all about coming home to a girl in a few days (can you guess how many) and Ray manages to slip in the line "bring it on home", which should be commemorated for the 1,000 time it's been used in a song. It's just a lazy number, perhaps it was written under pressure to come back with a single, perhaps it's a pastiche or tribute but you know something, it's almost laughable to play spot the song or rip-off throughout this track.

Three More Days? If this reviewer never heard Ray Lamontagne for the next three decades it would still be too soon. Fans will enjoy but hey, there is a fan-base for everything these days.