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| | Hold Time | | | Music Artist : | | M. Ward | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Merge Records | | Release Date : | | 2009-02-17 | | Store Price : | | $15.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $13.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. For Beginners
2. Never Had Nobody Like You
3. Jailbird
4. Hold Time
5. Rave On
6. To Save Me
7. One Hundred Million Years
8. Stars Of Leo
9. Fisher Of Men
10. Oh Lonesome Me
11. Epistemology
12. Blake's View
13. Shangri-La
14. Outro
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Ok followup
Submitted on: 2009-07-09 |
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M. Ward is a man trapped in time, stuck in the Oughts but enamored of the music from long ago. Strikingly spare, most M. Ward recordings have a lo-fi grime about them that does not embrace the current hi-def fidelity that some crave. His guitar playing is based on traditional finger picking, using space and tone rather than filling a song with a million notes and chord progressions. In some ways you could say he was a throwback to simpler times where your worth was based on your ability to craft and nurture a song rather than create something instantly disposable. I would think that should be a value worth preserving in a performer.
On M. Ward's new album `Hold Time,' M. Ward embraces the timeless traditions of former troubadours and creates an album that is steeped in the past but also manages to look forwards. `Hold Time' is a concise listen that features M. Ward's mixed bag of melodies and compositions. Opening track, "Never Had Nobody Like You" is a breezy bit of pop with a guitar riff that initially recalled Steely Dan's "Reelin' In The Years" before mutating into a greasy blues. "Jailbird" is a melancholic strum of a song sung with a sigh before leading into the funereal title track that deadpans about a lost relationship.
Then the album takes a twist and becomes invigorated with a cover of Buddy Holly's "Rave On" followed by a sister song in "To Save Me." The country blues of "Fisher of Men" receives a droll take before leading into a cover of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me." "Oh Lonesome Me" was also covered by Neil Young and thankfully did not feature a craggy Lucinda Williams singing along. After this track, it seems that Ward stumbles through "Epistemology" before regaining his footing with "Blake's View" and "Shangri-La." M. Ward closes the album with "Outro" a warm fuzz drenched instrumental that lingers long after the last note is played. |
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 next stop shangri-la
Submitted on: 2009-06-02 |
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M. Ward's latest release, Hold Time, continues his trend of revisiting and perhaps reinventing the good-old-time sound of none other than the good-old-times. An ever-present countrified guitar, mixed with his usual lo-fi and low-key raspy voice, and a really well-conceived set of songs makes makes this his most thorough release evah.
A little more rock 'n roll than his typical folkish sound, Ward keeps a good balance of electric vs. acoustic guitarmanship, with a subtle string section thrown in for good measure. Add an impossibly haunting duet with Lucinda Williams and a beautiful complement of background vocals from Zooey Deschanel, and you're left with an album that, like the throwback nostalgia Ward encapsulates, will stand on it own for repeated listening.
Among the many, standout tracks include One Hundred Million Years, Blake's View, Jailbird, Stars of Leo, and Oh Lonesome Me. |
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 So-So
Submitted on: 2009-05-22 |
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| M. Ward received a lot of hype due to his previous album. That album was better, not only because of the wonderful-if-overplayed Poison Cup. There's no song like that on this album, and as a whole it just sort of leaves you with nothing after it's over. It's pleasant and all, very M. Ward-ish, but it lacks something. |
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needs more emotion
Submitted on: 2009-05-19 |
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| I'm a fan or M. Ward and wanted to like this cd, but for me....it's missing the emotion factor. Not enough catchy songs like Poison Cup and To Go Home. |
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M. Ward continues to ascend
Submitted on: 2009-05-18 |
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M. Ward's profile continues to grow bigger and bigger. Last year's "She and Him" collaboration with Zooey Deschanel found major critical acclaim (and decent commercial sales) and already M. Ward returns with a new solo album, his fifth, following 2006's excellent "Post-War".
"Hold Time" (14 tracks; 45 min.) builds on "Post-War" nicely, while not ignoring the "She & Him" imprint. The opener "For Beginners" sets the tone beautifully, with luscious acoustic guitars. The title track feels like a sun-drenched pensive tune. "To Save Me" is, of all things, a delightful throw-back to the Beach Boys 60s-era sound. It may sound out of place, but somehow it works. Deschanel kicks in vocals on 2 tracks, "Never Had Nobody Like You" and the Buddy Holy cover "Rave On", another highlight. The tracks rolls on, and this album is a delight from start to finish. I should also mention the instrumental closer "Outro (I'm A Fool TO Want You", which feels like it's being played on a lonely place somewhere in the desert, it's one of the best tracks on the album, actually.
In all, "Hold Time" is an excellent album that really takes you in, and you'll wanna play this again and again. I haven't had the opportunity yet to see M. Ward in concert, and I can only hope to catch him sometime soon. Can't wait what these songs will sound like in a live setting. "Hold Time" is highly recommended! |
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