M Ward: A Wasteland Companion – review

He might be best known for his work with Zooey Deschanel (as She & Him) and as a member of supergroup Monsters of Folk, but it would be a mistake to overlook the understated solo output of Oregon-based Matthew Ward . His seventh album is another fine collection of hushed Americana (opener "Clean Slate"; the bucolic "The First Time I Ran Away") interspersed with more strident fare (" Primitive Girl " has echoes of "Laid" by James, while the fuzzed-up "Me and My Shadow" recalls Eels). Too much filler towards the end of the album detracts slightly, but this is another solid set.