Top 5 Albums of 2009 - #3

M. Ward
Hold Time

It almost seems at this point when M. Ward puts out a good album, we're so used to it that there's no point in making a big deal about it. Balderdash! Just because Ward has his fingers in enough pies to make his whole hand sticky doesn't mean he has slacked on his solo career. Hold Time is a fair enough document to prove that Ward is the 2000's George Harrison. While the album has its folky moments in "For Beginners", and "One Hundred Million Years", this is juxtaposed by Spector-esque pop rock on "Epistemology" and "To Save Me". Although there might not be an actual orchestra on "Jailbird", Ward's instrumentation gives it such a powerful treatment, it sounds as if it's coming from Carnegie Hall. Ward can also prove he can break new ground for himself, crossbreeding Dylan and T.Rex on "Nobody Like You". While the Don Gibson/Chet Atkins cover falls flat ("Lonesome Me", a duet with Lucinda Williams), his Buddy Holly cover of "Rave On" is spectacular, bridging the gap between dream pop and old school rock & roll. As far as I'm concerned, you could consider Hold Time part of M. Ward's late 00's roll.