M. Ward - Chinese TranslationAlbum: Post-War [2006]
portland-based singer/songwriter m. ward grew up listening to gospel and country, two genres that figure prominently in his breezy, west coast take on americana. released in 2001, his debut "end of amnesia" helped develop ward's penchant for dusty, timeless narratives and bluesy, back-porch balads, but it wasn't until 2003's "transfiguration of vincent" that ward would begin to penetrate the mainstream. his fifth offering, "post-war" is his best. it sounds like he just wandered off the street with a few friends and hit the record button, but what would feel lazy and unfocused in less confident hands comes off like a tutorial in old-school songwriting and performance that hearkens the past. while his distinctive half-second-delay drawl assumes its usual position as the ghostly broadcast from a more sepia-toned time, the production is far grander than his previous outings. like early pavement, ward knows how to make sloppy sound special, and it's that mix of earnestness and apathy that makes post-war what it is.
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