What's Rocking the Reverend?

trouble
Originally uploaded by Greg Blosser.

Here's a new weekly feature for you all entitled, "What's Rocking the Reverend". Feel free to let the rest of us know what's rocking you this week? We'd like to know.

Ray LaMontagne's recent release entitled "Trouble" has been rocking my world this week. He's got a scruffy, smokey voice that is eerily familiar, and yet I can not place it. All of these songs sound instantly like old favorites. This album could have been written 40 years ago, or yesterday and it wouldn't matter. It is a solid, soulful, well crafted album occupying that place between country and soul, blues and folk. Nothing groundbreaking here. It's not pushing any envelope or experimenting with some new technology. LaMontagne reminds me of the first time I heard Norah Jones in that it made me think, "here is a talented artist with nothing to prove, writing songs without pretension". Refreshing. Look for this guy's name come Grammy time next year.