Spring Break
M. Ward crafts lullabies, simplicity on 'Hold Time'
3 out of 5 stars
Fernando Dutra
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Focus
After the accolades of last year's She & Him "Volume One," with actress Zooey Deschanel, Matt Ward stands on the cusp of breaking out. This propulsion into the limelight means that Ward's latest, "Hold Time," will be unfairly scrutinized and compared to that compilation.
M. Ward's approach to songwriting hasn't changed during the course of five solo albums. On this, his fifth, M. Ward provides easy listening, lullaby-like melodies drenched in acoustic guitars and simplicity. His gift is that he decided on his style early on and stuck to it. "Volume One" was classic Ward, just with a different singer. Ward's gift is in production, making his fascination with the commonplace seem all the more charming. As "Stars of Leo" explodes into a full band song, it belies the simplicity that it began with. The amount of songs with fadeouts suggest that songs can continue long after the lyrics are done.
Ward also has a fascination with older songwriters. Add Buddy Holly/Sonny West to musicians Ward has covered throughout his career, some of which also include Daniel Johnston, the Beach Boys, David Bowie and the Velvet Underground. These influences are mostly notable throughout this collection of songs - there's no denying the Wilson brothers influence on Ward. Much like other indie-crooners, however, Ward concerns himself with singing simple songs of sadness. To his advantage, Ward is actually able to pull it off, as he's done so for a while.
It's not as if Ward suddenly appeared out of nowhere either. He's been creating music like this for 10 years. Conor Oberst, singer of Bright Eyes and someone who has toured and worked with Ward, calls him "mental Xanax," because he is capable of calming an entire room down when he enters it. His raspy vocals do just that. Though lyrics aren't his forte, there's a calming quality that seeps out of each song, even when they are upbeat - never mind all the blues-inspired songs he has written.
While fellow musicians like Jim James of My Morning Jacket have lately been getting their due, M. Ward might achieve it by sticking to what he does best. There isn't much experimentation on this album and it could have been released at any point in his career. It's just where Ward stands right now - on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream - that makes this release all the more interesting. Instead of capitulating to the whims of what might be the easier route (i.e. pop ditties for the radio), Ward just sticks to what he does best.
M. Ward's approach to songwriting hasn't changed during the course of five solo albums. On this, his fifth, M. Ward provides easy listening, lullaby-like melodies drenched in acoustic guitars and simplicity. His gift is that he decided on his style early on and stuck to it. "Volume One" was classic Ward, just with a different singer. Ward's gift is in production, making his fascination with the commonplace seem all the more charming. As "Stars of Leo" explodes into a full band song, it belies the simplicity that it began with. The amount of songs with fadeouts suggest that songs can continue long after the lyrics are done.
Ward also has a fascination with older songwriters. Add Buddy Holly/Sonny West to musicians Ward has covered throughout his career, some of which also include Daniel Johnston, the Beach Boys, David Bowie and the Velvet Underground. These influences are mostly notable throughout this collection of songs - there's no denying the Wilson brothers influence on Ward. Much like other indie-crooners, however, Ward concerns himself with singing simple songs of sadness. To his advantage, Ward is actually able to pull it off, as he's done so for a while.
It's not as if Ward suddenly appeared out of nowhere either. He's been creating music like this for 10 years. Conor Oberst, singer of Bright Eyes and someone who has toured and worked with Ward, calls him "mental Xanax," because he is capable of calming an entire room down when he enters it. His raspy vocals do just that. Though lyrics aren't his forte, there's a calming quality that seeps out of each song, even when they are upbeat - never mind all the blues-inspired songs he has written.
While fellow musicians like Jim James of My Morning Jacket have lately been getting their due, M. Ward might achieve it by sticking to what he does best. There isn't much experimentation on this album and it could have been released at any point in his career. It's just where Ward stands right now - on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream - that makes this release all the more interesting. Instead of capitulating to the whims of what might be the easier route (i.e. pop ditties for the radio), Ward just sticks to what he does best.
Be the first to comment on this story