Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dog's new album, God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise, makes me believe in magic again—the kind where I'm 5 years old and summer isn't plagued by work or worry.

With this album playing in the background, it doesn't matter that I'm 22 and staring at the last rays of summer. LaMontagne's voice is keeping me tied to an alternate gravity that will undoubtedly end in fiery destruction if he ever stops singing.

The husky yet undeniably pure timbre that has become LaMontagne's trademark is the reason why ridiculously corny, yet entirely appropriate phrases like "would make angels cry" ever came into existence.

"For The Summer" features harmonica, accordion, and a lap steel guitar, in addition to the acoustic, bass, and drum set staples, and is one of the most dynamic songs on the album. A short intro using complex acoustic hammer-ons transitions smoothly into steel slides moving fluidly beneath the accompaniment of the first verse. LaMontagne's vocals slide effortlessly through a full octave range, rising easily into high notes that turn impossibly smoother at the top.

Other songs, such as "Repo Man" and "Beg Steal Or Borrow" lend a more upbeat feel to the album, with the latter contributing catchy lyrics about "howlin' at the moon like a slack-jawed fool/a breaking every rule that they can throw on."

Getting through all 10 tracks in one sitting is effortless and by the end, it feels exactly like waking up from a refreshing nap.