M. Ward (Matt Ward) has been prolific lately. Last year, he produced and played on Volume One as the “Him” in the duo She and Him. This successful collaboration with actress and friend Zooey Deschanel led to a tour last summer.
For his new recording, M. Ward brilliantly presents songs that draw from all styles of music. Country influences, folk ballads, the blues and pop are all represented on Hold Time.
Ward has a way of making his simple songs sound so lush. Working mainly with Mike Mogis on production, Ward captures a depth that runs throughout the recoding.
Starting off, “Absolute Beginners” shows off Ward’s mastery of the guitar. Minimal production goes a long way on this song which only contains hand clapping, Ward’s guitar and keyboards and Mike Coykendall’s bass.
Deschanel Makes Guest Appearance
The single, “Never Had Nobody Like You” begins with a drum track that sounds a bit like what they play at NBA games, but then it breaks into something with a lot more character. Deschanel sings a crisp backing vocal as Ward cranks up the electric guitar.
“Jailbird” is a clever tune with the full band including a lovely string arrangement provided by Tom Hagerman and Peter Broderick. Adam Selzer plays percussion. Ward backs himself up on vocals, singing:
“There’s nothing but skin and bones/Hiding under a dead man’s clothes/Six feet deep and a black box underground."
The title track features haunting keyboards and strings along with Ward’s stirring vocals. If songs could have sepia color, this is what they would be. It conjures up an image of an old photograph in the lyrics:
“Yeah, I wrote this song just to remember the endless/Endless summer in your life.”
Nod to Buddy Holly
Done in a slow swing style, Ward and friends cover Holly’s hit “Rave On.” Sound effects such as church bells and hand clapping meld together with Ward’s electric and acoustic guitars. Deschanel and Ward share echoey backing vocals.
This is followed up by a full-out pop song that has evidence Holly’s influence. “To Save Me” has catchy backing vocals by from Jason Lytle along with hard-driving piano and drums and jangely guitars.
If listeners didn’t know better, they would think “One Hundred Million Years” was written a long time ago. Containing only Ward’s rough but warm voice and acoustic slide guitar, its lyrics repeat themselves, a technique often used in old folk tunes.
“This river that we ride has always been alive/Oh my soul, one hundred million years/This river that we ride will roll on when we die/Oh my soul, one hundred million years.”
Ward Channels Country Blues with Lucinda Williams
The Don Gibson classic “Oh Lonesome Me” is made even more sad with Lucinda Williams. She and Ward take turns with the verses and sing the refrain together in a soulful pleading. Both their voices have a ragged quality that give the song added power. Ward’s guitar keeps time and the strings fill out the rest.
In what one can assume is an autobiography song, “Epistemology” has a full band and evocative lyrics. Ward talks about being raised in a Catholic school and reflects on what he’s learned. It’s his philosophy on life mixed in with a love song.
With Hold Time, Ward has demonstrated his ability to switch musical styles but never lose himself. The recording flows very nicely and is one that listeners will want to listen to repeatedly.
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