The Beauty of Ray LaMontagne Songs Translated To Photos

Be here now

I’ve always thought Ray LaMontagne’s voice was a force of nature. I first saw him perform at the Beacon Theater in New York City in 2009 (the week responsible for LaMontagne writing “New York City’s Killing Me”). It was a solo acoustic tour, and from the first note of “Be Here Now” I was mesmerized by how his voice alone shook the walls of the majestic theater. Though the sounds and texture fit perfectly within a museum-style venue like the Beacon, its how the vocals design an atmosphere that make the songs multi-dimensional. You can close your eyes to any LaMontagne song and picture a landscape or environment that matches the emotion (Oddly enough, the closing song on LaMontagne’s latest record Ouroboros, is entitled “Wouldn’t It Make a Lovely Photograph”). He has an unique ability to both create and capture a moment (like a photograph) with his voice. The beauty is that LaMontagne allows you to quietly jump into his scene or create one of your own.

LaMontagne is not known to do much press or extracurricular spotlight activity that can come with being a mainstream musician. He lets the music do all the talking, and in doing that, its allowed for the songs to transcend boundaries and create a world of their own.

Here, I’ve paired 10 LaMontagne songs with stunning photos from photographer, Michael Young. Each image captures the melodies and lyrical sentiment, while at the same time preserving the raw form of the song. As opposed to just randomly assigning, the point was to think about the rich meaning of the song, how it makes you feel, and how LaMontagne delivers it. Then, identify one of Young’s breathtaking shots that capture that exact vibe.