Ouroboros
by Ray LaMontagne
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Mar 4, 2016
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 3 out of 24
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Mozeef98
    Mar 8, 2016
    10
    This dark, mysterious, and charmingly spacious adventure in sound with co-producer Jim James will certainly go down as a drastic departure for Ray, but I am not disappointed in the least. This album is a display of Ray's ability to bend with his creativity. If Ray continues to let the music lead him where it may, I will certainly continue to allow him to lead me from one project to theThis dark, mysterious, and charmingly spacious adventure in sound with co-producer Jim James will certainly go down as a drastic departure for Ray, but I am not disappointed in the least. This album is a display of Ray's ability to bend with his creativity. If Ray continues to let the music lead him where it may, I will certainly continue to allow him to lead me from one project to the next, but for now, this is the album I'll be pumping into my headphones for the foreseeable future
    .    … Expand
  2. WESAUS
    Aug 8, 2016
    9
    I love this album. It's mellow and dark but damn it's good. One of my favorites of 2016. Love the Jim James influence. It may lack in energy but the songwriting makes up for it.
  3. Platendraaier
    Mar 6, 2016
    8
    Ouroboros is a rich an powerful album, where the emotional melodies connects effortlessly with warm vocals and poignant lyrics by Ray LaMontagne. The album may be full of references to the great masters of Pink Floyd, nowhere the talented LaMontagne is in trouble for giving it his own twist. As an artist, he no longer needs to prove to the public his talent and therefore it seems to costOuroboros is a rich an powerful album, where the emotional melodies connects effortlessly with warm vocals and poignant lyrics by Ray LaMontagne. The album may be full of references to the great masters of Pink Floyd, nowhere the talented LaMontagne is in trouble for giving it his own twist. As an artist, he no longer needs to prove to the public his talent and therefore it seems to cost him no effort to look for innovation and change in his musical path. Where the psychedelic sounds remains his inspiration the blues is also present, resulting in the alternation of guitars, synths, organs and harmonies. The compositions holding an impenetrable force thanks to the instrumentation of the musicians, where each element is closely connected to the other. The production of Ouroboros is one of the top pieces and lets Ray LaMontagne as Changing Man colorize his musical pictures with lots of moving atmospheres. LaMontagne adds the influences of several musicians into his own experiences and develops a musical piece which as a whole supports the eternal cycle. 8/10

    Full Review in Dutch: https://www.platendraaier.nl/albumrecensies/ray-lamontagne-ouroboros/    … Expand
  4. surfish
    Apr 3, 2016
    10
    This is some seriously beautiful stuff.
    I'm floating on a Pink Floyd-ish cloud.
    Reminds me of Meddle, without the heavy stuff.
    Grilling a chicken on my Big Green Egg today, Sunday.
    Love this work he's done.
  5. Shoten
    Apr 23, 2016
    10
    A sonic experience that left me astounded as week extremely satisfied. I haven't heard an album like this in a very long while and I'm glad I came across it. It's the kind of album that can transport you to a better place and I welcome the opportunity to do so at any moment. Don't miss this album from beginning to end!

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Uncut
    Apr 28, 2016
    70
    He's hired JIm James, whose spiritual beliefs he seems to hare, along with a taste for cosmic rock and psychedelic blues, all of which figure on the compellingly heavy "Hey, No Pressure." [Apr 2016, p.75]
  2. Q Magazine
    Mar 16, 2016
    80
    While his left-field turn may sharply contrast with what he initially promised, he's sacrificed none of his mystery. [May 2016, p.111]
  3. Drowned In Sound
    Mar 10, 2016
    80
    It's so different from the majority of his previous output that it might take some time to truly get to grips with. The coherence of the whole record is a joy.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »