Monovision
by Ray LaMontagne
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Jun 26, 2020
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. LanceHarvey
    Dec 21, 2020
    10
    This is probably one of LaMontagne's best albums so far. There are hints of Simon & Garfunkel-ish sound and of course, some signature LaMontagne croons.
  2. RageNate
    Aug 13, 2020
    4
    Worthies (4/10):
    - I Was Born To Love You
    - Strong Enough
    - Morning Comes Wearing Diamonds
    - Highway to the Sun
  3. dhoskins
    Jul 24, 2020
    9
    Misty Morning Rain is my favorite Ray Lamontagne song since Ojai. It's as moving as Astral Weeks, except he sings better than Van Morrison. The up-tempo first half doesn't become overly harsh, and in the lush and gorgeous second half, there are few distracting psychedelic touches to distract from the beauty.
  4. buzzlight
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    2020 is a tough year, and this album is positive, reflective and nostalgic. Lush, beautiful and easy to listen to, excellent songwriting.
  5. GuitarPen
    Jul 1, 2020
    8
    Roll me, Mama, Roll me," the first track on Ray LaMontagne's new release, MONOVISION rolls over the listener like a cold wave on the hot sand. It's an enchanting blend of his old bluesy-folk stylings and his more recent airy and subdued vibe. Fervent vocals ride upon the lush and layered hooks The breathy and soulful intonations deeply enrich the underlying vibe throughout the entireRoll me, Mama, Roll me," the first track on Ray LaMontagne's new release, MONOVISION rolls over the listener like a cold wave on the hot sand. It's an enchanting blend of his old bluesy-folk stylings and his more recent airy and subdued vibe. Fervent vocals ride upon the lush and layered hooks The breathy and soulful intonations deeply enrich the underlying vibe throughout the entire album.

    Let's face it, the most lasting impressions of a musical artist are typically formed based on the first album one hears from that artist. My introduction to Ray Lamontagne was 2016's slow-burning Ouroborus. Traveling back in time from there, I came to appreciate his earlier folk-ified country offerings. In recent releases such as 2018's Part of the Light and the aforementioned Ouroborus, LaMontagne has slowed his music pace. Yet on MONOVISION, he seems to have brought back a bit of the old down-home sound and blended it with his newfound airy vibe.

    "Misty Morning Rain" starts slow and intensifies. Reminiscent of the livelier songs from Van Morrisson Astral Weeks, the staggered rhythm and textured strumming makes it nearly impossible to sit still. As one of the better songs on the album, LaMontagne, as always, reveals the pain in his soul through his profoundly expressive voice. "We'll Make it Through," and "Strong Enough" are two other strong tracks that set the mood as inspiring, if not feathery anthems of the day.

    While the enthusiasm is infectious on most of these songs, the album is not without a few sedatives. "Weeping Willow", "Highway to the Sun," and "Summer Clouds" are as slow as molasses. They, too, serve as a sign of the times as we've all been forced (arguably for the better), to turn the cadences of our own lives down a few notches.

    Overall, MONOVISION is a quintessential Ray LaMontagne record. His subtle and soft guitar tones underscore an organic uprising of his deepest thoughts and feelings. A marriage of the old with the new results is an evolved and original listening experience.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Glide Magazine
    Jun 30, 2020
    80
    The album has all of the Ray LaMontagne trademarks, consisting mostly of love ballads shared via gently strummed minor chords, soft crooning vocals, and a soft, tender atmosphere. But what the album lacks in surprises it makes up for in authenticity, Monovision consisting of the introspective musings of a folk singer baring his soul.
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  2. AllMusic
    Jun 26, 2020
    80
    The individual tunes hold their own, but Monovision is a record where the whole means more than the individual numbers, since LaMontagne strikes a very specific mood -- one that's reassuring, even soothing -- and then manages to sustain it until the end.
    Read full review
  3. Mojo
    Jun 26, 2020
    80
    If you enjoy a record that can gently coax a cathartic tear or two, Monovision fits the bill. [Aug 2020, p.88]
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