Product Description From a half-named troubadour with an otherworldly voice and an old time sensibility comes this fourth full-length, a collection of songs dedicated to the last remaining independent radio stations. .com Transistor Radio may be bookmarked by instrumentals, but M. Wards cracked, jazzy croon is the true star of all his work. The sixteen tunes here all sound like sketches that became songs on the spot, and we all know the well-crafted illusion of spontaneity is a very difficult thing to pull off repeatedly. His most consistently enjoyable album to date, Transistor offers breezy, smart, poppy music very much in the American folk tradition, from country blues to bleary-eyed bedroom strums. This is the soundtrack to a lazy Sunday when you sleep in, read the Times in bed, cuddle with a friend, then finally leave the house for cheese grits. "Ill Be Yr Bird" sounds like the Fruit Bats collaborating with Vic Chesnutt, while Ward recalls Stew on "Hi Fi," the deadpan lyrics over lazy, lovely sounds: "Why burn your bridges when you can blow your bridges up?" The laudanum-like charms of Wards music are tough to resist. --Mike McGonigal
5**E
soundtrack for real life
I read a review of M. Ward's "Transistor Radio" album in the 3/14 issue of Newsweek magazine. I was intruiged enough to hop on over to Amazon to see what more I could find out about this M. Ward, and see what my ears could hear. After getting a small taste of each track, I was compelled to purchase the album. When it arrived, I played it. And played it. And played it. I have become enchanted, entranced and mesmerized. The album title describes it best: songs deriving their essence from the station hopping of yesterday's radio. Somehow,it doesn't matter what's going on in our house, this album matches the activity. First thing in the morning, last thing at at night, driving from here to there and everywhere in between, kicking back and taking time to soak in every note, this album magically fits it all. How? I couldn't tell you. But it does. It is now several days later, and I've found myself back at Amazon, purchasing yet another copy of this album. This time for another redhotmama who enjoys true, real, musicianship with a twist of life thrown in. Be a believer. Buy the album.
J**T
Good, not life-changing
This album by M.Ward is pretty solid with some standout tracks ("Hi-Fi" is my favorite, but "One Life Away", "Fuel for Fire", "Four Hours in Washington"), and some weaker ones. On the whole, Transistor Radio could have benefited from a little less attention to spacey production values and more attention to songwriting. To me, the major emphasis of the album we less the songs, and more about using a variety of Lo-Fi production values to evoke a vague, dreamy nostalgic feeling. The arrangements are by and large interesting and engaging, but often things are obscured by too much reverb, most especially M. Ward's vocals, which are laconic, breathy, and drowned in too much echo to have energy or cut through the mixes. Reverb is a taste thing, but in my opinion it distracts from the stronger songs on the album and fails to help the weaker ones. There are some songs like "I'll Be Yr Bird" and "Oh Take Me Back" that seem to rely almost entirely on Lo-Fi production values to hold the listener's interest, but fell flat. I think the energy on this album could be a bit better, and with some slightly altered production values, cut a few songs, and add in some more of M.Ward's tasteful guitar arpeggiations and some more vocal harmonies it could have been a 5 star album. I'll look forward to M.Ward's next effort, and hopefully it will be a little stronger on songs and a little weaker on reverb.
T**B
WOW, what a cool album!
Now, I don't normally put on a new album and start loving it right away, but that is exactly what M Ward's Transistor Radio did for me.This has so much diversity, from the beautiful acoustic sounds of the opening and closing tracks, to the chugging, swinging boogaloo of "Big Boat," to the dark "Sweethearts On Parade."While nailing down M Ward's sound is nearly impossible, I'll try: a one-man version of the Band; a stoned-on-laudenum-too-but-happy-too version of Iron & Wine; a fresher, less-cryptic version of early '70s Dylan.I don't want to weigh the guy down with ridiculous expectations, but this and his second album End Of Amnesia are the tonic for today's decrepit music industry - heartfelt, well-written songs that express something besides the popular post-modern gloom (sorry Radiohead/Modest Mouse fans).Just listen to the instrumental cover of the Beach Boys' "You Still Believe in Me." You'll see - it doesn't get much better than that. Buy this. Support the birth of real artists.
L**K
#4 Ward Highway: M Ward 's World
Welcome to Number Four, Ward Highway, M Ward's World. This stop on the highway is clearly his broadest and most wide ranging compilation to date in a musical journey that is increasingly making the case that the listener is walking around in M Ward's world soaking up the soulful beauty which his genius creates for us. And while The End of Amnesia (#2) is perhaps the tightest and most cohesive collection and The Transfiguration of Vincent (#3) his most spectacular and powerful offering, Transistor Radio feels like the logical extension and continuance of all that has come before. In short, it sounds like the perfect "next step" for a man who is all but baring his musical soul and genius for us to hear. His breadth and depth is staggering when you put all four stops on the Ward highway together---everything from classical virtuosity to rockability ala Sun Records to beautiful melodies with poetry for lyrics. Sounds this beautiful and vast come along once a generation, or less, and musical talent this certain and apparent is rare, very rare. Transistor Radio is the fourth of what is certain to be many more "sharings" from a man who plays music and sings like he can't help himself. It comes out---it pours out softly and soulfully at times and then at other times seems to just burst out of him---and there doesn't appear to be anything he can do about it either way (like a medium for a muse). When he plays the piano he does so in keys, combinations, and physical places on the piano that I never really knew were there or accessible (listen to the opening chords of "here comes the sun" or "seashell tale" for instance). When he plays the guitar, well...never mind trying to find words for that (listen to the opening chords of "bad dreams" or "fool says" for instance). And when he sings, well, just never mind. It's unique, it's pure, it's incredible. And that's our good fortune, and yours too, if you take a ride on the Ward highway. Start anywhere and work your way back or forward: your call. You'll be glad you did.
E**L
M.Ward is fantastic-i love this CD
My favorite song is the one about the Sun. I cannot think of its title right now, maybe Here comes the Sun? But the whole CD is a delight, and really a must have for any M.Ward fans.
S**T
Five Stars
Love this music. His voice is unique and so are his songs!!
E**I
A nightly, obscure, fascinating and intimate record, like echoes and memories from an old radio station
A fantastic album full of echoes and shadows, little secret country and midtown stories hiding in the nights or running along the highways, like Calexico met Tom Waits, Chris Isaak and Neil Young (that from the seventies or from Harvest moon) for a secret trip through obscure memories of a past, like tuning on a radio station that transmits from another era.Intimate but unreconciled, surrounded by a nightly mood and fever that makes it fascinating mysterious and yet sweet and passionate.I never heard about this guy until I watched him performing on the Letterman show many years ago. And decided to take a jump into his world.
W**N
wunderbare CD
Eine CD für ruhigere und romantische Momente, mit teilweise virtuosem Gitarrenspiel, jedes Lied hörenswert und unterschiedlich. Diese Musik in eine Kategorie einzuordnen fällt mir schwer. Auf jeden Fall handelt es sich um eine melodiöse CD, die mit einer etwas schwermütigen, melancholisch wirkende Stimme von M. Ward begleitet wird. Es ist nicht meine erste CD von M. Ward. Mir scheint der Musiker ist völlig zu Unrecht relativ unbekannt. Über den Radiosender Flux FM wurde ich auf die Musik von M. Ward aufmerksam.
I**E
やってくれた
紛れもない最高傑作。最高のパフォーマンスを見せ付けてくれた奇跡の来日から４ヶ月、待望の新作です。目をつぶればそこは一面の麦畑。ビールとソーセージを！
C**N
Mauvais endroit
Ce produit ne se trouve pas au bon endroit dans la recherche. Porte a confusion . Très déçue. Perte de temps
