Jump directly to the content

Music

MusicReviews, Interviews, News, Commentaries, Glimpses of God, Best-Of Lists

M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion

A Wasteland Companion
Our Rating
4 Stars - Excellent
Average Rating
 
(not rated yet) ADD YOURS Help
Artist
Release
April 10, 2012
Label
Merge Records

Style: Retro-styled pop, folk, and soul; compare to She & Him, Monsters of Folk, Will Oldham

Top tracks: "Clean Slate," "Pure Joy," "Watch the Show"

These days, many know M. Ward as one half of She & Him, his duo with actress Zooey Deschanel. And that's a shame, since Ward has been releasing stellar solo albums for years. This new one has fewer biblical references and epistemological musings than his previous release, but amid a smattering of pretty love songs there's still plenty to unpack musically and lyrically. Leadoff track "Clean Slate"—a beautiful, folky, fingerpicked number—is a quest for "the truth," while the title track finds him answering a metaphorical knock on the door to "see what it all is for." But perhaps his greatest distillation of the human condition comes when Ward says he's "stuck between what we have done and what we're gonna do."


Browse all music reviews by:  

Related Topics:
None
More from Christianity Today

Streaming This Weekend, May 24, 2013

What to watch this weekend (hint: don't make a huge mistake).

Boy Scouts' Membership Change May Grow Christian Youth Clubs

Alternative organizations saw rising interest amid debate.
You Can't Think Your Way to God

You Can't Think Your Way to God

Christian formation means shaping our loves, says Jamie Smith, not just educating our minds.

Building Peace in the Heart of Darkness

Local Congolese Christians nurture new efforts to end chronic violence as UN adds new brigade.
Get Instant Access
Christianity Today Magazine
Subscribe now for a year (10 issues) at $24.95 for print, iPad, and instant web access.

International Orders

Comments

This article has no comments
You must be a Christianity Today subscriber to rate and post comments
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
Login
or
Subscribe
or
Register

Don't Miss

Rob Bell's 'Ginormous' Mirror

Rob Bell's 'Ginormous' Mirror

To read his book is to read about our fascination with ourselves.
Fathers and Daughters

Fathers and Daughters

What is a "graphic novel"?

Taste and See

Taste and See

The unpredictable impact of Jesus.

more | current issue

Today's Christian Woman

Ministering to Military Families

Ministering to Military Families

Five tangible ways to...

Books & Culture

A Measure of Forgiveness

A Measure of Forgiveness

Memories of a British...

Small Groups

Conflict in Small Groups

Conflict in Small Groups

Work through conflict...

Out of Ur

Review: Missio Alliance Gathering 2013

Review: Missio Alliance Gathering 2013

Reflections on mission...

Facebook

CT eBooks & Bible Studies


Shopping