(RCA)

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Joined in the studio by members of his touring band as well as returning producer Ethan Johns, Ray LaMontagne takes a few stabs at broadening his sound on his third album. It kicks off with the punchy horn blasts of "You Are the Best Thing," a slice of Motown-flavored R&B that showcases his soulful, raspy vocals. Sometimes serious to a fault, LaMontagne reveals a lighter side on the country crawl "Hey Me, Hey Mamma" and the alternately stomping and trippy "Meg White."

But a few genre diversions aside, the album is still very much in the brooding singer-songwriter vein of his previous albums. On several songs LaMontagne again (see Till the Sun Turns Black) falls prey to the idea that sandpapery, whispered vocals can make dull, meandering songs good. Whispered vocals matched with a gentle, coasting melody and deft finger-picking, however, is a good thing ("Sarah"). The passionate ache of LaMontagne's best work resonates on the ballads "Let It Be Me" and "A Falling Through," on which a pedal steel and Leona Naess's delicate harmonies enhance the song's stirring melancholy.   

Standout Tracks "A Falling Through," "Let It Be Me" JASON MIDDLEKAUFF