Ray LaMontagne - Trouble [20th Anniversary]

It was hard not to be blown away by Ray Lamontagne's debut album, Trouble. Released September 2004 in the US, a week later in the UK, those that cottoned on to the emerging powerhouse quickly drew comparisons with the likes of Van Morrison, Tim Buckley and Nick Drake. Albeit here the vocals are "impeccably weathered", as Rolling Stone put it, with "marble-mouthed" phrasing elevating the lyrics into the pantheons of all-time top inaugural LPs. Listening back now, it feels as though Trouble, and perhaps Lamontagne, belong in a very different time. No bad thing, certainly not a criticism, this is music from a time before singer-songwriters were predominantly products of the insatiable music machine, designed and destined for a John Lewis Christmas advert, if they were lucky. An age when raw talent - in this case, raw as it comes - was still enough to earn a reputation on the road which would then convert into that breakthrough studio opportunity. An age when social media didn't exist, so we had time to absorb a full album, as intended, words, warts and all.

Celebrated Grammy award winner Ray LaMontagne commemorates the 20th anniversary of the release of his seminal 2004 debut album, Trouble, with a special remastered vinyl edition.

On the remastered vinyl, LaMontagne says, "When Trouble was initially released Vinyl was considered a dead format, never to breathe again. Digital audio was the new King. As we know this has proved untrue. Each year more and more music lovers are listening to vinyl and appreciating it for it's depth and breadth of sound, for it's physical heft, for it's tangible realness."

Features

• 20th Anniversary
• Limited Edition
• Vinyl LP
• Remastered
• Enhanced Package with Exclusive Photos
• Gatefold Jacket with Embossed Cover
• Poster Insert

Tracklist

Notes

• Label: Liula