Album Reviews

M. Ward

Transistor Radio

2005-03-01

Impressive.
Ward's previous album, End of Amnesia was a big step in the right direction, but this one is the destination. The songs have just the right balance of thoughtful songwriting, fine musicianship, unplugged beauty, electronic meddling and haunting vocals.

The songs have a sort of distant, aged feel to them, as if they'd be playing when you walked into an abandoned building in a ghost town. They're like an old-fashioned folk-pop, if there is such a thing.

Cleverly, the record is dedicated to "the last of the independent & open format community radio". How did he know we'd go for that?

12 original tunes and covers that include Brian Wilson's "You Still Believe in Me", The Carter Family's "Oh Take Me Back" and a hushed album-closing take on J.S. Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier".

Quick Links:

all reviews | all folk reviews

More reviews tagged #Folk

reviewed 08/2004
Various Artists
Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo
reviewed 01/2007
MAD TEA PARTY
Big Top Soda Pop
reviewed 04/2014
JUSTIN CURRIE
Lower Reaches
reviewed 06/2005
Great Lakes Myth Society
Great Lakes Myth Society
reviewed 02/2017
Travis Linville
Up Ahead
reviewed 06/2006
Slaid Cleaves
Unsung

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.