Ray LaMontagne - Monovision review: A stripped-down slice of acoustic rock to soothe the soul

Ray LaMontagne’s eighth studio album is a stripped-down, self-produced slice of acoustic rock that could just as easily be a product of the late Sixties or Seventies than of 2020.

There’s a real cinematic feel, and nowhere is this more evident than on Summer Clouds, reminiscent of an out-take from the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack.

Meteorological metaphors abound — from Misty Mountain Rain to Rocky Mountain Healin’ — as the singer-songwriter bares the soul, his tender vocals backed with acoustic guitar and just-there drums.

We’ll Make it Through is a real beauty. A heart-felt love song about relationships, embellished with goose-pimpling harmonica: “Had our share of the pain, of the clouds and the rain. Lean on me and I’ll lean on you and together we’ll get through. We always do.”