I had heard "You Can Send Me Flowers" on Satellite Radio several times and knew I had to find this Blues Prophet Ray. His lyrics are so gut-wrenching and cathartic that after hearing the entire CD I felt it had saved me thousands in psychotherapy. Quite a religious experience. Collaborating with people like Michael McDonald didn't hurt his arrangements, either. Ray sounds like Joe Cocker in "Three More Days," and like George Harrison in "Within You." But he lays out his bare soul in all lyrics with the most passion I have heard in a long time, along with great guitar licks, his own unique style, and THE MOST HAUNTING VOICE. A true blues prophet Ray is. I'm so glad he finally convinced himself to find his way out of his manufacturing plant job and into songwriting and performing where he truly belongs. I look forward to his other CDs. Don't miss this one!

I would echo the superlatives of many of the other reviews of this CD. It is my first experience with this artist's work and I have had it on constant replay. I am totally incapable of picking a favorite track, though today I'm partial to "Gone Away From Me." Tomorrow it may be something else.

However, the "harsh critics" I refer to are the sleepy high school seniors in my first period Constitution class. Our school begins each day with a period of silent reading and I play music each day as we read. Sometimes they groan. This was the FIRST cd I've played this year from a widely eclectic selection that kids were begging to know who it was, and how to buy it.

I am so glad Amazon suggested this cd. This is a perfect cd for just about anything you are doing. Riding in the car, housecleaning, being with that special someone, it puts me in a perfectly wonderful mood. I hope to see more from him in the future.

Essential to listen to this alone and preferably in semi darkness. Really moving and able to touch your soul and heart in places few others can get near to. The gentle melodies are very soothing, like salve applied to wounds,both old and recent. Will be played often and held in the esteem of such greats as Dylan and Cohen.

The first time I plopped this CD in, I was thinking "if it's half as good as `Trouble' then I'd be happy." My happiness turned into complete elation. This CD is just as good as `Trouble' and it continues to grow on me with every listen. It is a little mellower than his first effort, perhaps a little darker. Having said that, it doesn't take anything away from this beautifully crafted CD.

Highly, highly recommended.

If you like Ray, you'll love this too. Better then his first outing of Trouble which really was hard to top.

The first time hearing the CD, I was a little dissappointed. I really liked his first CD and was looking forward to more of the same. I don't know what I was thinking! A second time through and I was convinced that Ray LaMontagne is the best "unknown" singer and songwriter today!

For an absolutely soothing passionate album, try this...Ray LaMontagne is great for the office or a road trip...love it!

This entire cd is just absolutely incredible. Ray's voice is amazing, and he has the ability to make you Feel what he is singing. I love it! worth every penny and so much more!

Till The Sun Turns Black is the second terrific album by singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne, whose first wonderful album, was Trouble (2004). Ray is not a cheerful or sunny soul (the title should be a hint of that, no?). Rather, like Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Kelly Joe Phelps, he mostly mines the caves of sadness, loss, weariness, lassitude, and sorrow. He sings in a hushed and plaintive voice which is like the far off sounds of a train, mournful and distant. Don't get me wrong, Ray is wonderful to hear, just don't spin this disc if you are already feeling a bit, shall we say, desperate. Or then again, maybe you should. Just maybe his own wretched misery would be enough to make you say, "Hey, at least I don't feel THAT bad." But joking, aside, this album, despite being slightly tarnished by too much fancy strings and orchestral sounding background, has some truly stellar gems.

The song "Empty" is sheer poetry:

"lay your blouse across the chair,
let fall the flowers from your hair
and kiss me with that country mouth, so plain.
outside, the rain is tapping on the leaves,
to me it sounds like they're applauding us the quiet love we made.
will i always feel this way?
so empty, so estranged"

Buy the album for "Empty" but stay and listen to the whole thing. It is well worth it. Thank you Mr. LaMontagne.

Reportedly written during a relationship crisis, the second album from Ray LaMontagne delivers on all the promises of "Trouble" and opens the singer up emotionally.

"Well I've been to hell so many times, I must admit you kind of bore me..." he laments in the stunning "Empty." Emoting in his husky and soulful voice, LaMontagne once again invokes Van Morrison and, to a certain extent, the blue eyed soul of Michael McDonald's early solo albums. There is also the quiet folk that flows through this album's most haunting moments, like "Be Here Now," the title track and "Barfly." Fans of The Band will probably find themselves in bliss with both the subtle instrumental work and LaMontagne's evocative singing and writing. "Three More Days" could have easily come from the pen of Robbie Roberston, it really is that good.

If you haven't heard either of Ray LaMontagne's CD's yet, indulge yourself. He's learned that excess is a beast trimmed off, and the result is that his albums lack fat or frivolousness. The strings (especially on the terrific "Can I Stay") and horn arrangements augment the songs with just the right amount of accent, without overkill. One of the best of 2006, for the same reasons "Trouble" was stuck in my heavy rotation for 2005.

This is my first introduction to Ray LaMontagne - and I feel lucky to have made this personal discovery. His music and lyrics are eloquent. There's nothing fast on this album, it's all intense, while lingering on the dark side. While I always look forward to putting this album on, I do sometimes find myself tiring of it before the end. At times, he sounds a bit like Joe Cocker meets melancholy. 'Empty' is one of the finest songs I've ever heard anywhere. I'm eager to hear LaMontagne's other albums.

I don't think there's a song on this CD that I don't like. Ray continues with his soulful voice and lyrics in his second album and every song has its own feel. He did include a "faster" song with "Three More Days" on this album, which was a little different than his original album but I love it and it's a refreshing change from the slower rhythm of his other work. I could listen to this album over and over without getting tired of it.

I bought this cd for the song 'Be Here Now' I was very impressed by the different styles of music I heard in it

Stunning album; the songs "Empty" and "Lesson Learned" are so hauntingly beautiful that my coworkers must think I have some medical disability when they come on my iPod.

Like a lot of sophomore releases this one does not build on the debut album.

Ray writes great lyrics and has a haunting voice. And together with his guitar playing makes great music. He doesn't require much in the way of accompaniment.

This album is overproduced. Too many backing instruments and layers that aren't needed.

At times reminiscent of Ray Charles vocal smokiness, at others his own gentle self. An excellent sophomore disc. Higly recommended if you enjoy great songs well written and well performed.

Late to the party, I actually first experienced Ray Lamontagne thru this CD. I was immediately thunderstruck. The sound, ie musicians, engineering, etc. is superb. Ray's voice, compared by others with Van Morrison's, actually sometimes reminds me a bit of Joe Cocker (???). This is one of the best new artists I've heard in a decade. As good as Trouble is, I actually prefer Till the Sun Turns Black. I can't imagine anybody NOT liking this CD....a lot!

Highly recommended.

I didn't think that Ray LaMontagne could top his first album "Trouble" but he may have;just in a different way. This album seeps into your mind after a few times you play it whereas with "Trouble" it was love at first hearing. He has a gift and thank heaven he decided to share it with the world. I would have to tell anyone that to really know RL you must own both albums. Can't wait to hear what his next offering will be!!

Good CD. laid back and able to relax with this playing in the back ground

What could ANYONE possibly say to sum up this work of art? A music review doesn't quite seem appropriate. Even the best of reviewers out there couldn't touch it. And that's because it's PURE. Beautifully original. Quietly hypnotic. Extraordinarily candid. Perfectly fluid. Honestly flawless. Astoundingly real.

Ray LaMontagne's music is hard to define. It is soothing and mesmerizing and yet hold your attention to his perfect notes and words. I love it.

Excellent, I am 61 and have been so bored by any new music and had grown weaary of all the good works from my own generation. It was such a pleasure to have been turned on to Ray from my daughter. He is so poetic and his music so pure and it reaches my heart and mimics my life experiences. Be Here Now is a masterpiece. This is as good if not better than Trouble. I hope he writes many many more. He literally brings tears to my eyes. He makes the mundane transfixed. I feel like I am listening to E.E. Cummings sing his poetry.

I love this CD
This man can sing and write and then sing what he writes as if he were singing it for the first time.
I saw Ray LaMontagne on Austin City Limits after I purchased the first CD
I hope to hear from LaMontagne for a long long long time.
He has an original sound and voice...Really and Truly
Bring it on Ray
Write more....Sing more

Beth L Roe

One song on the whole CD is good. I didn't like this at all and feel I wasted my money. I was so disappointed I considered sending it to the record label. Ray Lamontagne has more talent than he's showing.

Ray is a passionate and talented artist. This album is just as amazing as his last albeit a bit more mellow. He seems to be me a cross between Bob Dylan and James Taylor. Buy this album and his last...'Trouble'.

Sounding like a combination of southern rocker, singer-songwriter, and acoustic balladeer, it's rather surprising to learn Ray LaMontagne comes from New Hampshire. If you haven't heard his debut album "Trouble", then you will be picking it up soon once you hear his excellent second studio album, Til The Sun Turns Black. From the elegant opening bars of "Be Here Now" and the first gravely, rumbling vocals, you understand you are hearing real, unique talent. If you can fall in love with an artist after 2 songs, then this is one of those albums.

"Be Here Now" mixes a strong acoustic guitar melody with atmospheric strings that ebb and flow with the song's moods. LaMontagne's perfect voice is the glue holding the disparate elements together, a plaintive call to a lover (perhaps lost?). This song alone made me a fan. "Empty" is a Tom Petty-ish mid-tempo acoustic rocker with strings, as his elegantly poetic lyrics describe a world he is searching for. With his wild hair and bushy beard, LaMontagne looks as if he stepped off the stage in the 1970's, and his music certainly evokes that time. "Barfly" is a simple acoustic ode to a woman, "kiss me before you go...I'm going nowhere baby", with a soft harmony provided by singer Rachael Yamagata. Though he intertwines themes of loneliness and loss with love and hope, no songs feel depressing or dark; Ray's voice possesses so much life that you sense he sings with a wry detachment.

"Three More Days" takes in some keyboards and a southern blues drum beat, and lays LaMontagne's plaintive voice over the top "three more days...girl you know I'll be right there by your side baby..I can bring it on home..." Some well-mixed horns give the song some added life, but this is the most southern sounding of all the songs. "Can I Stay" is a James Taylor sounding ballad, "there is nothing I want more except to wake up on your floor", while "You Can Bring Me Flowers" incorporates some jazzy horns with a up-tempo electric guitar. "Gone Away From Me" is reminiscent of a funkier version of Chris Isaac. "Lesson Learned" and "Truly, Madly, Deeply" are soft ballads, and "Til the Sun Turns Black" echoes back to "Be Here Now" with its soft vocals, strings, and acoustic guitar. "Within You" is a upbeat closing track that fits the overall mood of the album and sends it off gently.

Despite its 44 minute running time, this album packs a punch of emotion and poetic lyrics. Ethan Johns did an excellent job keeping LaMontagne's voice as an instrument, its gravel rawness blended perfectly with acoustic and electric guitar, strings, and horns. This was an album that builds on the success of his debut Trouble, and demonstrates again that the gift of the singer-songwriter comes from within. Ray LaMontagne of New Hampshire and Lewiston, Maine has a unique gift, and was kind enough to share it with us. This is a must hear album, and on my Top 5 for 2006. Pick this one up today.

A.G. Corwin
St Louis, MO

I first heard the single "Trouble" on WBOS in Boston. They, and in particular George Knight, were championing him as a New England home-grown singer/songwriter. I was drawn to his voice and talent immediately.

On the CD "Trouble", producer Ethan Johns took Lamontagne's simple guitar songs and, by taking a minimalist approach, gracefully complemented his sound with brush drums and occasional string accompaniements. The product was a sound that highlighted Lamontagne's voice instead of drowning it in overproduction.

On "Till The Sun Turns Black", a brilliant "mood" album, Lamontagne sounds less like the I'm-just-glad-to-be-here newcomer and much more like he's invested in the effort. He is a man possessed with a need to deliver emotion but he does so with a controlled delivery. His vocals are more nuanced than on "Trouble'. They evoke real emotion instead of concern for whether his voice can carry the load.

While "Three More Days", a catchy R&B tune, may seem out of place here, I suspect it was part of a bargain with the record company to deliver at least one radio-friendly track on an otherwise extremely introspective album. At least it's a good song whose opening riffs evoke aural images of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man".

Although dark and appropriate more for late night headphones than for the drive to work, "Till The Sun Turns Black" is one of the best CD's I've heard in the 2000's. The songs are brilliant and, once again, the production is spare and deferential to the emotions RL's heart is pouring out.

Outstanding work here. RL's a truly unique talent...and he's blessed with restrained production.

Iam enjoying this album very much, as I already have his first one.

Good listening!!!

Ray's album is excellent from beginning to end. No bad songs here!

I admit it. For whatever reason, I find myself drawn to Van Morrison-esque singers, yet I don't particularly enjoy Van The Man himself. Add Lamontagne to that list. There's something hypnotic about the darkness that surrounds this album, and it's not just the black album cover - the music is dramatically draped in low strings that compliment Lamontagne's husky, smokey voice. Modern, yet timeless, Until The Sun Turns Black feels like the kind of album that will never get old.

I really love Ray Lamontagne. Till the sun turns black is a great follow up to Ray's first album, however I thought the first was better. I have litened to this CD till I knew every word of every song.

When I first heard 'Trouble' I was blown away by its originality; when I first heard the trak "Be Here Now" from this latest album I actually got a tear in my eye, it's just such a beautiful song. The rest of the album almost lives up to this, especially "Empty", which lays down the desolation he admits to feeling at times. It makes me want to meet him, to say I understand the never-ending grind of it all becoz he truly nails it. The title track I'd heard before on an early CD, but he's reworked it and it's benefited from some serious production - a lament on our greed and corporate life, it is moving, but then Ray is a consumate songwriter - I don't get the feeling he dashed any of these songs out overnight; they are weighty, moving, insightful and melodic. Personally, I can live without two trax from the CD, but that's personal taste, and if its only two trax, he deserves being bought. And in this era of downloading everything, for me, that's saying something, because I did buy it.

If you like old school folk music, you'll enjoy this disk. The bluesy track "Three More Days" is great ~ but doesn't blend in with the rest of the albumn.

An excellent follow up to "Trouble" though some songs sounded vaguely reminiscent. In total, an excellent follow up, if not as groundbreaking as his first.