Ryan Montbleau enters a new chapter of his career with the release of Growing Light on April 21st. The 10-song set is bold and barrier breaking, organically blending rock, funk, soul, folk and psychedelia to create a sonic kaleidoscope where tunes like the percolating first single “Pacing Like Prince” and the cinematic title track co-exist in refracted bliss. Montbleau will celebrate his new album with two CD release concerts at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday, April 17th with his original lineup of the Ryan Montbleau Band on Saturday, April 18th with players he has been working with over the past year. Glide Magazine is premiering “Pacing Like a Prince,” (streaming below) a steady R&B/rock workout that parades Montbleau’s proficiency in the soul spectrum.
“Soul music is an element of what I do…it’s in there somewhere,” says Montbleau about his sound. “Funk is an element of what I do with a band. But I am also a folk artist. I’m a singer-songwriter first and foremost. I want to move you on the outside, make you dance and have a great time, but I also want you to think. I want to reach inside and tap into emotions, tap into truth with the use of words as well as sound. It’s taken me years to make this distinction but it’s been a hugely important one for me.”
Growing Light pairs Montbleau’s most artfully crafted and sincere lyrics with vocal performances of exceptional grace and heart. The songs also benefit from the near-telepathic rapport of Montbleau and his band, which developed over a decade of touring. And those qualities are enhanced by the adventurous production of Galactic’s Ben Ellman and inventive mixing by Mikael “Count” Eldridge, who has worked with DJ Shadow, Radiohead and No Doubt.
Growing Light is also poignant and personal. Montbleau’s new songs trace the bloom-and-fade cycle of finding and losing love through the arc of a relationship. They also come at the end of a decade-long era with his band – a group who came of age together while touring the jam band circuit, where the Massachusetts-born Montbleau built his initial following.
Growing Light is available for pre-order at: http://smarturl.it/RyanMontbleau between now and street date of April 21, anyone who pre-orders gets the entire album instantly.
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This is killer stuff