Supernova (Ray LaMontagne album)
| Supernova | ||||
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| Studio album by Ray LaMontagne | ||||
| Released | April 29, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, folk rock | |||
| Length | 42:39 | |||
| Label | Stone Dwarf Records, RCA | |||
| Producer | Dan Auerbach | |||
| Ray LaMontagne chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B+ |
| AllMusic |    |
| New York Daily News | |
| The Guardian | |
| Knoxville News Sentinel | |
| Newsday | B+ |
| Paste | 7.5/10 |
| PopMatters |   |
| Rolling Stone | |
| USA Today | |
Supernova is the fifth studio album by Ray LaMontagne, released by RCA Records on April 29, 2014. The title track serves as the album's lead single.
Supernova garnered generally positive reception from music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a "weighted average" score to selected independent ratings and reviews, and based upon eight reviews, the album has a Metascore of 78 meaning that it received "generally favorable" reviews. At Rolling Stone, Will Hermes rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, stating that "Predictably, [Dan] Auerbach [as producer] helps the singer pull bright colors from the Sixties' crayon box; less predictably, he makes it seem a perfectly logical progression of LaMontagne's 10-plus years of cozy vibes." Thom Jurek of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, writing that "Supernova is unapologetically and indulgently retro; a casual listen might dismiss it as mere nostalgia", however the "pairing [of]Auerbach's detailed, careful production with LaMontagne's open, expertly crafted songwriting and breezy, sensual, emotionally unburdened signing, that boundary is shattered." At The Guardian, Dave Simpson rated the album four stars out of five, remarking how "There's nothing here that's exactly new, but by assembling an array of unexpected influences in one blissful place, Lamontagne has crafted an unlikely perfect summer soundtrack."
At The A.V. Club, Chris Mincher graded the album a B+, saying that "Supernova is a surprisingly bold, enterprising follow-up from an artist who could have easily ridden out the rest of his career on adult-alternative autopilot." In addition, Mincher remarking that "Supernova's experiments aren’t all triumphs by any means, but, given how painless it would have been to stay the course, LaMontagne is to be commended for taking on a challenge at all." At Paste, Hilary Saunders rated the album a 7.5-out-of-ten, stating how "Supernova sounds like a foray into the exploratory sonic terrains created by those who simply can." Saunders closing with saying that "Supernova represents the idealistic (and exospheric) possibilities for LaMontagne after 10 years in the industry, what gets lost in the experimentation is the emotional connection previously forged though clear playing and exposed lyricism." At Knoxville News Sentinel, Chuck Campbell rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, observing that "change is constant" with the release that "results in a chameleonic" and this "will attract some and repel others."
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