Flashback to a simpler time when a piece of gum cost a nickel, beer was always cold, glasses had thick frames and shorts were actually short, and most importantly, people listened to the radio. Solo artist M. Ward transcends the barrier of time and strikes the nostalgic chord with his raw, acoustic fourth album appropriately dubbed, “Transistor Radio.”
But who listens to the radio these days? Certainly radio is no longer the last bastion of good and electric music, but instead a dreaded experience full of dial toggling, switching over to the AM, or the eventual CD crossover. What happened to the days of waiting patiently near the radio, cassette in hand, ready to record (insert childhood favorite band here)’s new tune? Or triple shot Mondays? Or a station that actually played good new music? Or a classic rock station that plays something besides Rush, Journey, REO Speedwagon, or the same four Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Beatles songs?
M. Ward’s raw, toned-down style of music sounds all too personal; a feeling the radio used to elicit. It sounds as if his album was beamed from some obscure radio station late at night solely for your listening pleasure. This is surely M. Ward’s greatest intangible quality. There is something so distantly familiar and inviting about his music, like something your dad would play on long drives, or from sing-a-longs at camp. The album flows so well that, although each track has a different feel to it, it’s hard to tell where one song ends and the other picks up.
Perhaps it is Ward’s authentic-sounding voice that evokes such a sense of familiarity. It is not accurate to describe his voice as simply lulling and wavering, but it has a strange Southern twinge providing it a sharp edge. Ward rarely strays from his vocal comfort level, and as a result no song sounds forced or contrived. Each track is methodically produced, so that while the music is basically simple in its structure, it still sounds striking and engaging.
The album opens with an acoustical tribute to the Beach Boy’s “You Still Believe In Me.” Without sounding overly pompous or provoking a sense of music snobbery, M. Ward is able to put his stylistic twist on one of the classic, classic-rock songs. By cutting out the superfluous instruments, M. Ward is able to showcase the brilliant riff that Beach Boy Brian Wilson crafted in the ’70s, while not sounding dated or archaic.
The following song, “One Life Away,” sounds as if it was transported from another era. The ghostly vocals and twangy guitar bring to mind a bluesy Southern mindset, something distinctly missing from modern rock or folk. The sound quality of these first two songs, and the whole album for that matter, sounds as if it was not recorded straight from guitar to tape, but instead through a cheap radio playing the part of the middleman. This effect, while sentimental, is so inventive that it keeps the album surprisingly fresh.
In nitpicking “Transistor Radio,” you might find some similarities between M. Ward and the more popular Jack Johnson or Ben Harper. While these descriptions might be accurate at times, it’s unfair to lump any solo guitarist into that genre. M. Ward more so conjures memories of Nick Drake than either Johnson or Harper. His music is far more distinct and dreamy than any other solo guitar artist on the market today, and for that aspect alone deserves recognition.
Although M. Ward is not gracing Madison, or the whole Midwest (what is it, the cold?), with an appearance on his current tour, he is playing in a plethora of other cities just in time for spring break.
Whatever the case, M. Ward’s old-time feel assimilated into a modern environment proves for easy, chill and most importantly, pleasurable listening.
Grade: A
