Post War
An enviable multitasker, M. Ward deftly charts the varied dusty soundscapes of Americana. Since 2005, he's toured with the White Stripes, coproduced the debut from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, compiled a John Fahey tribute, and relocated from Oregon to New Hampshire--and that's just to start. Somehow, he found time to knock outPost-War, his first full-band effort. Since 1999's haunting solo debut,Duet for Guitars #2, every Ward effort has been a departure from the one before. While 2004'sTransistor Radiowas inspired by the radio days of yore, it's clear inPost-Warthat Ward has modern times on his mind. Opening with an upbeat trio of songs, Ward launches across diverse musical territory before concluding with the slow blues of "Afterword/Rag." A driving rendition of Daniel Johnston's "To Go Home," featuring Neko Case, is an album highlight. Adding to Ward’s cast of indie-rock luminaries, Jim James (My Morning Jacket)--who appeared onTransistor Radio--joins in on a couple of originals, the rollicking "Chinese Translation" and gospel hoedown "Magic Trick," which begins and ends with a burst of canned applause.--Kathleen C. Fennessy