M. Ward
Hold Time
rock
(4.5 out of 5 stars)
On his newest album Hold Time M. Ward proves that collaborating with a veritable army of talent in recent years hasn't zapped his creative genius.
Though She & Him his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel might have had the critics buzzing and college kids surgically attached to their iPods Hold Time stands as a testament to the fact that M. Ward is at his very best as a solo act singing mellow" strum-heavy tunes that are liable to resonate in your head for days on end.
From the very first chords of ""For Beginners"" the initial track on the album, Ward creates a record that sustains itself, repetitive only in its genius.
Its versatility ensures that Hold Time is just as appropriate as background music as it is for concentrated listening, a trait that few artists, or records, can claim. The pleasant ebb and flow of M. Ward's voice hasn't lost any of its magic since such epic tracks as Chinese Translation"" and ""Vincent O'Brien"" yet the artful chord progressions and effortless lyrics are an improvement over many older, less impressive records.
From beginning to end, M. Ward's songs are pleasantly cohesive, straying in content and sound just enough to maintain the listener's interest but similar enough to preserve a unified sound.
One of the strongest aspects of Hold Time is its emotional connectivity.
The tracks don't usually deal with particularly heavy subjects —most of the songs are laced with confusion over the latest unintelligible action of the opposite sex. M. Ward's husky, gentle voice paired with the soothing strums of his guitar evokes the carefree warmth of dangling an arm out the window on a balmy summer drive.
As evidenced by his contributions to the masterful soundtrack of the film The Go Getter"" M. Ward's songs work perfectly to encapsulate the lives and sentiments of his subjects, even if that subject is himself.
Though the album is no departure from past M. Ward records, it follows the same magical formula that has worked for Mr. Ward in the past, a happy-go-lucky sensibility that holds no pretenses and relies solely on talent and extraordinary songwriting.
Because of this, Hold Time should be no letdown for M. Ward fans, and for others it's a perfect opportunity to discover M. Ward, a distinct voice in an otherwise calm sea of sameness, at the peak of his powers.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
