It's no secret that I love
M. Ward. The way he croons is so, so dreamy. In my opinion, he is the better half of She & Him. So, there is no surprise that I was looking forward to his new album,
Wasteland Companion.
Although the album isn't due out until April 10th, it's
streaming on NPR.
I had hope for this because I really liked the first two tracks released, but unfortunately, this is not his best album. I still really like it though! I am also thrilled that M. Ward is doing his own thing again. I love this type of folk and his strong lyrics.
The beginning of of the album is upbeat and similar to She & Him. Full of handclaps, with a 60's vibe. Actually one track, Sweetheart, has Zooey Deschanel singing lead and could easily be mistaken as a track from the indie duo's band. I'm a bit sick of Zooey showing up everywhere. She does dress incredibly cute, but her voice isn't amazing. On most She & Him songs I long to here more of M.Ward's voice. I especially felt that way on their overly praised Christmas album.
The second half of the album is darker and much more creative. Overall though, this is a good album and definitely worth listening to if you are a fan of M. Ward or She & him, or even just a fan of indie folk.
Standout tracks: Primitive Girl, The First Time I Ran Away, I Get Ideas, There's a Key & Crawl After You
What are you listening to? Any new music?
