Transistor Radio
February 22
Merge Records
Not ten seconds into the instrumental cover of the Beach Boys’ ‘You Still Believe in Me,’ you get the feeling that the aptly-titled Transistor Radio isn’t just another average record from a vaguely folksy singer songwriter. Maybe it’s the technical prowess displayed in the swirling acoustic guitar, or maybe it’s just that no one ever opens a record with a cover unless they’ve got some wacky thematic trick up their sleeve. Whatever it is, M. Ward’s latest effort draws you into a parallel universe where an entire century of American music is lovingly and carefully explored. Ward’s material runs the gamut from mournful front-porch dirges to sinister, bluesy jams that would be best enjoyed with stiff drinks in a smoke-filled nightclub. (I know, but maybe we can all take a trip down South?) Ward’s voice will wear on some, and portions will come off as a little too O Brother Where Art Thou? But with its dizzying guitar passages and subtly addictive melodies, there’s an awful lot to like about it — especially since it’s impossible to shake the feeling that M. Ward isn’t just a performer. He’s a fan, and a seemingly obsessive one, at that
