It's a tall order to register as anything more than Incidental Indie Dude when you're singing alongside Zooey Deschanel (in the duo She & Him), but Matt Ward has managed to maintain his own identity over the years. After becoming established in the anachronistic-folkie sweepstakes as a subtle but effective voice with a knack for coaxing real texture and warmth via analog recording means, he formed Monsters of Folk with Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and also played with Tired Pony, featuring members of Snow Patrol, R.E.M., and Belle and Sebastian. For A Wasteland Companion, Ward moved between eight studios, with 18 musicians chiming in, including Deschanel and members of Giant Sand, Dr. Dog, Sonic Youth, Oakley Hall, and Devotchka. Stream the album below and purchase the album on iTunes here.
