April 28, 2009 Earworm

It's obvious that M. Ward is proud of being an enigma and he probably takes great pleasure in our digging for clues once we're caught up in his echo filled attic of pop. His records are packed with so little and maybe that's why it is so easy to drag your own baggage in to the mix.

When I first encountered the title track of his latest, "Hold Time", my first thought was that I hoped that this would be how my final moments on the coil would sound and, even as a not so believing person, I hoped that the feeling of being above it all would be thrown in for good measure. I also chastened myself for being maudlin but, after repeated listening and a look at the video, I am pretty sure that what I'm hearing is dead on.

April 08, 2008 Earworm

Actors who cross over to pop music are usually something that makes me run screaming: even if they can sing or play, the music tends to be demographically formulated to fit the moment and really, when was the last time you thought to yourself, "Gee, I'd really like to hear Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time".

Zooey Deschanel is a different proposition all together. Hooking up with M. Ward provides a surprisingly perfect fit for her sunshine pop suited voice although the outcome is better suited to early evening when the horizon turns lavender and dark pink.

"I Thought I Saw Your Face Today" addresses the mind tricks our memories can play and it sounds as familiar, yet utterly fresh as such moments can be.