In the three years since M.Ward released his last solo album, Hold Time, he’s been keeping busy with many side projects including, She & Him and Monsters of Folk, both of which we’ve featured multiple times on the site. I’m pleased to report that M.Ward is back with his 6th solo album entitled A Wasteland Companion. In my opinion this album represents some of Ward’s finest work so far. With that being said, he is back and better than ever.
For the last few years it has been M.Ward’s solo material, particularly tracks such as Chinese Translation, Poison Cup and Paul’s Song, which have become regulars on my iTunes, as I see them as escapes from reality. From the limited time I’ve spent listening to this album so far, I’ll confess that as much as i’ve enjoyed Ward’s collaborations and side projects, it’s good to see him back on his own. That is not to downplay the two tracks on the album where he joined by his lovely and vocally pleasing She & Him partner, Zooey Deschanel.
Among my favourite songs on the album are The First time I Ran Away, There’s a Key and Sweetheart (feat. Zooey Deschanel), all of which are wonderfully arranged and necessary additions to your end of school playlists.
