M Ward - End of Amnesia
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CD Details
Artist: M WardEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2002-08-27
Music Label: Future Farmer
Soundtracks:
- End Of Amnesia
- Color Of Water
- Half Moon
- So Much Water
- Bad Dreams
- Archangel Tale
- Silverline
- Flaming Heart
- Carolina
- From A Pirate Radio Sermon, 1989
- Psalm
- Ella
- Seashell Tale
- O'Brien/O'Brien's Nocturne
Music reviews of End of Amnesia
Music Review: Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open
Rating: 5 Stars
M. Ward's "End of Amnesia" is a flat-out marvelous record. Discovering his work is one of those joys of music listening which come along every few years. He doesn't introduce a new genre of popular music, like the Sinatra of Capitol records in the 50s, or the Beatles in 1962, or even the Clash or the Talking Heads in the 80s. Instead, like Randy Newman or Gillian Welch or Patty Griffin, Ward's music heads off of the musical Interstate to explore the twists and turns of the two lane "blue highways" that meander nearby. In Ward's case, the music is rooted in the existing tradition of Americana and mainstream folk and rock music. But Ward uses these tools to create music that is both dreamlike and self-consciously contemporary in the best sense of the word. Bits and snatches of sampled sounds of machinery, old lullabies, or a moment from a jazz tune of the 1930s, float in and out of an often simple melody to create a feeling of wistfulness and deep emotion.
In "Half Moon," the song begins with a four second excerpt from a Hubert Rostaing clarinet solo recorded in the late 1930s with Django Reinhardt, which is then immediately succeeded by an acoustic guitar in a midtempo melancholy vein which itself introduces the main melody and is only later joined by the voice of Ward. It is a brilliant intro which sets the mood of the piece perfectly. The song is hard to imagine without it.
Elsewhere, throughout the album, Ward uses mechanical sounds or distorts the guitar or the vocal to create an otherworldly atmospherics which are not easily forgotten.
Despite this overlay of "found" sounds, which so often create a sense of being in one of Ward's dreams, he never employs them for cheap effect. Their use is deliberate and the listener's interest in the song is deepened rather than dulled.
The album overall also projects a surprisingly upbeat mood. The fuzz tones, the use of mechanical sounds, and distortion of instruments and voice are not used to create a sense of gloominess or despair. Instead, they engage the listener consciously and encourage him or her to pay closer attention to the song writing and the intentions of the artist.
The lyrics of the songs on "End of Amnesia" compare well with the best of today's singer-songwriters. Ward is a master tune-smith, who can not only write an engaging melody, but is careful not to ruin it with trite or mediocre lyrics.
"End of Amnesia" continues to engage both the mind and the emotions of the listener with each rehearing. There is always something new to notice. "End of Amnesia" is a true treat for fans of introspective and intelligent songwriting in this new century. Highly recommended.
Description of End of Amnesia
Japanese version featuring 2 bonus tracksAs one might expect from an album called End of Amnesia, a dateless aura exists within, as if it could have been recorded 100 years ago or 100 years from now. Portland, Oregon, resident Matt Ward's often captivating sophomore CD fuses a bucolic folk sound with a postmodern lo-fi sensibility. Ward's intriguing tunes are sung in hushed tones, and his fragile voice has an offbeat beauty even when he whispers. The atmosphere here is stark and mostly acoustic (save for "Flaming Heart," an odd little rock rave-up that appears midway, like an intermission), and an eerie calm pervades the album. Ward's music features deft, poised guitar playing, vivid lyrical imagery, and melodies that burrow into your brain--as if they'd been there all along. --Marc Greilsamer
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