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 04/2013
TIM EASTON
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION THE BEST OF 1998-2011
reviewed 04/2009
BRUCE COCKBURN
SLICE OF LIFE
reviewed 04/2014
BRADFORD LEE FOLK & THE BLUEGRASS PLAYBOYS
Somewhere Far Away
reviewed 07/2016
Lucy Woodward
Til They Bang On The Door
reviewed 09/2009
MALCOLM HOLCOMBE
For the Mission Baby
reviewed 03/2015
The Zuni Mountain Boys
The Zuni Mountain Boys

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.