M. Ward

Two words usually come arise when describing neo-folk troubadour M. Ward – hush and weathered. On his fourth album, Post-War, Ward makes vintage sound like the present, as the 31 year old paints pictures with his "hush and weathered" atmospheric folk, as if he’s been doing this since ’59.

Ward's "Fahey" fashioned guitar talents, are set in the background this time around in favor of his welcoming vocals and orchestrated melodies, which have developed two-fold since 2005’s Transistor Radio.

With the help of Neko Case and Jim James, Ward ironically records the happiest song of his career – notable in the cover of Daniel Johnston’s “To Go Home” as he recites - “God it's great to be alive / Takes the skin right off my hide / To think I'll have to give it up / Some day." Pick me-ups (“Requiem”), instrumental playfulness (“Neptune’s Net”), hot-shot finger picking (“Chinese Translation”), and a toe tapping folk (“Rollercoaster”) all strut their stuff on this golden effort. Ward sets a true “mood” on Post War, as each song flows effortlessly, and as the disc suddenly concludes, you can't help but want more from this American original.