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Matthew Stephen Ward's seventh studio album was recorded in eight different studios and boasts 18 guest musicians, including Rachel Cox (Oakley Hall), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), Tom Hagerman (Devotchka), Tobey Leaman (Dr. Dog), and She & Him's X chromosome Zooey Deschanel, just to name a few. Such a heroic production itinerary should surely yield appropriately epic results, but Ward's Wasteland Companion feels as organic and understated as anything he's done thus far. Most of the 12 songs flirt with ambient textures, but they remain firmly imbued with the breezy, tape-saturated patina that permeated early works like Transfiguration of Vincent and Transistor Radio. For the most part, outside of the slight but catchy "Primitive Girl" and the driving "Sweetheart," he eschews many of the pop tics that colored 2009's Hold Time for meandering, dustbowl folk arrangements ("Clean Slate"), galloping, country-gospel motifs ("Pure Joy"), and Tin Pan Alley nostalgia ("There's a Key"). Ward's naturalistic approach and consistently retro vibe work best when he lands somewhere in the middle of it all, as is the case with the lush and timeless sounding "Wild Goose" and the bluesy title track, both of which appear in the album's spare and satisfying second half. Fans who were wondering if Ward's mainstream successes would yield a stylistic sea change can rest easy, as his signature, sepia-tone demeanor, for better or for worse, remains steadfast.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
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M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Coykendall, Mixer, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Mike Mogis, Mixer, Organ, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Parish, Percussion, Recording Engineer, Marimba, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Alistair Chant, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Susan Sanchez, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Pierre De Reeder, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - TOM SCHICK, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Zooey Deschanel, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jordan Hudson, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Coykendall, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Pierre De Reeder, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - TOM SCHICK, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Johnston, ComposerLyricist - Zooey Deschanel, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jordan Hudson, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Coykendall, Bass Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Dorcas Cochran, ComposerLyricist - Lenny Sanders, ComposerLyricist - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - TOM SCHICK, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Coykendall, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Selzer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Erik Wofford, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Scott McPherson, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nathan Andersen, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Rachel Cox, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Mike Mogis, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - TOM SCHICK, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Shelley, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Jon Graboff, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Amanda Lawrence, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Hagerman, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Toby Leaman, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Bella Union
M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Amanda Lawrence, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Hagerman, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Coykendall, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Larry Crane, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - TOM SCHICK, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Shelley, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Toby Leaman, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - MATTHEW STEPHEN WARD, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2012 Bella Union
M. Ward, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - TOM SCHICK, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Amanda Lawrence, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Coykendall, Mixer, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Mike Mogis, Mixer, Bells, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - TOM SCHICK, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Schultz, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Howe Gelb, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jon Graboff, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Hagerman, Strings, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2012 Bella Union
M. Ward, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tyler Tornfelt, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Coykendall, Mixer, Percussion, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2012 Bella Union
Album review
Matthew Stephen Ward's seventh studio album was recorded in eight different studios and boasts 18 guest musicians, including Rachel Cox (Oakley Hall), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), Tom Hagerman (Devotchka), Tobey Leaman (Dr. Dog), and She & Him's X chromosome Zooey Deschanel, just to name a few. Such a heroic production itinerary should surely yield appropriately epic results, but Ward's Wasteland Companion feels as organic and understated as anything he's done thus far. Most of the 12 songs flirt with ambient textures, but they remain firmly imbued with the breezy, tape-saturated patina that permeated early works like Transfiguration of Vincent and Transistor Radio. For the most part, outside of the slight but catchy "Primitive Girl" and the driving "Sweetheart," he eschews many of the pop tics that colored 2009's Hold Time for meandering, dustbowl folk arrangements ("Clean Slate"), galloping, country-gospel motifs ("Pure Joy"), and Tin Pan Alley nostalgia ("There's a Key"). Ward's naturalistic approach and consistently retro vibe work best when he lands somewhere in the middle of it all, as is the case with the lush and timeless sounding "Wild Goose" and the bluesy title track, both of which appear in the album's spare and satisfying second half. Fans who were wondering if Ward's mainstream successes would yield a stylistic sea change can rest easy, as his signature, sepia-tone demeanor, for better or for worse, remains steadfast.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:35:45
- Main artists: M. Ward
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2012 M. Ward ℗ 2012 M. Ward
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