Ward, M
Transfiguration of Vincent
(Merge)

The title to M. Ward's latest record put a smirk on my face upon hearing it. Let me explain.

I first became familiar with Matt Ward two years ago, shortly after the death of another great acoustic master, John Fahey. As I mourned for the loss of one of music's finest craftsman, I found myself finding solace in the soft crooning of another genius songwriter, who cryptically called himself "M. Ward". As any Fahey's aficionado would know, one of Fahey's finest records was titled "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death". So by titling his latest album "The Transfiguration of Vincent", M. Ward has completed the symbolic torch-passing. It will be interesting to see if he could amass a recorded output that would ultimately be worthy of comparison to Fahey.

While I'll be the first to say those types of comparisons are way premature, there is no question that listening to M. Ward's first release on Merge Records is a mesmerizing affair that does justice to the amazing gift the man possesses. His achingly beautiful voice carries the minimal "Sad, Sad Song" to a conclusion that will leave your heart hollow, yet musically fulfilled.

M. Ward's has already experienced more success than he ever had with his band Rodriguez, leaving me to compare him to another acoustic troubadour who faced the same post-band success - Elliott Smith. While Smith draws primarily on British influences and Ward definitely American, they both tug on your heartstrings in a similar fashion, and both have been able to make the jump to a more produced sound with ease. The record is not without its minimal moments, as bits of Fahey-inspired plucking stand alone (and hold their own) at several points on the record; sans percussion or voice.

With a bigger budget at his disposal, M. Ward is able to finally flesh out his ideas that come across beautifully even when reduced to just an acoustic guitar and voice. They are ideas that are both timeless and timely, especially as we've spent the last few years coping with the death of one of music's greatest contributors, John Fahey.

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