M Ward—Hold Time

M Ward—Hold Time (Merge Records/4AD Records)

Review by Hugh Lilly

Hold Time, Matt Ward’s sixth studio release under the initialised moniker M Ward, is a lucid assortment of country-folk songs that features members of Grandaddy and DeVotchKa, among others.

Ward, a folk singer based in Portland, Oregon, is no stranger to collaboration, having worked with indie ‘it’ girl Jenny Lewis, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and, most recently, the actress and singer Zooey Deschanel. Ward met Deschanel on the set of indie flick The Go-Getter and went on to record the ’60s-inspired country-folk album Volume One under the name She & Him.

Jangly guitars and dynamic pedal steel pepper the record, and Ward has honed his ornate acoustic style to a T on Hold Time. The opener “For Beginners” builds up to a flourish of hand-claps and gives way to “Never Had Nobody Like You,” a lively near-duet with Deschanel that wouldn’t be out of place on a She & Him record.

Deschanel also appears on a spritely, reverb-soaked version of “Rave On!,” a song made popular by Buddy Holly. Also covered is Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me,” done by Neil Young on After the Gold Rush. Ward’s version—a duet with Lucinda Williams—is equally as spare and melancholy as Young’s, and Williams’ characteristic vocals bring warmth to the somber lyrics.

The atmospheric title track sets Ward’s raspy voice against swelling strings, and “To Save Me” is a bouncy pop song similar in tone to “Vincent O’Brien” from Transfiguration of Vincent. Side two opens with “Stars Of Leo,” a keyboard-driven jaunt, and “Epistemology,” is doubtless the record’s stand out track, pairing upbeat strumming with lively, open percussion. “Blake’s View” sees Ward consider the poet’s ruminations on life and death, and the instrumental outro “I’m a Fool To Want You” elegantly rounds out this singer-songwriter’s most accessible effort to date.

~ by Hugh on May 6, 2009.