By Matt Murray

Folk? Soul? Bluegrass? Reggae? Blues? On his newest record, “Gossip in the Grain,” Ray LaMontagne is spreading his musical wings. No longer can he be contained by one specific genre, and this inability for listeners to be able to put a finger on him is what makes his album succeed with flying colors.

Ever since he was influenced to be a musician after hearing Stephen Still’s song “Treetop Flyer,” LaMontagne has been known for writing soft, soulful folk tunes. His personality wasn’t much different from his music, as he is infamous for his barely audible voice and rather shy nature.

However, on “Gossip in the Grain,” LaMontagne travels to unexplored territory, venturing away from his solemn songs of love and loss, incorporating various new instruments into his sets. The song “Henry Nearly Killed Me” sounds like a blues jam that could have been heard in Memphis bars in the mid 1950s, while “Sarah” has subtle reggae influences at its core. The albums opener, “You are the Best Thing,” is complimented by its extensive horn section. This song exemplifies the albums far superior production in comparison to his previous efforts.

Not only is the album dynamic sonically, but LaMontagne goes so far as to include more light-hearted, even humorous lyrics that make the album more of an upbeat listen than his past works. “Meg White” is a tribute to the drummer of The White Stripes. Its drumbeat clearly emulates White’s style, only adding to the boyish admiring expressed in the lyrics: “Jack is great, don’t get me wrong, but this is your song. Some day I’d like to take a walk with you and talk about most anything you’d like to talk about.”

The infusion of the countless new styles into “Gossip in the Grain” makes this LaMontagne’s most diverse, interesting listen to date. The album has a song for people of all musical tastes, and may even lead people into musical genres they themselves have yet to explore.

Matt Murray is a journalism sophomore.