event Ray LaMontagne

Yes, “talented” vocalists are a dime a dozen, and most get shrink-wrapped in disposable packages. It would be a terrible waste to do that to someone like singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne, though. His three albums, including last year’s Gossip In The Grain, leave generous room for a voice that opens up plenty of breathy, husky marks of aging and scarring. In fact, he’s only in his 30s, but he brings a natural mystique to blues- and soul-based tunes, shiny enough for the adult-contempo crowd and lusty enough for the roots-rock crowd. He can handle levity, too: Gossip boasts the upbeat horn section of single “You Are The Best Thing” and a playfully affectionate tribute to The White Stripes’ drummer, “Meg White.”