M Ward

M. Ward – Duet For Guitars #2

Every town has its musical favorite sons. Imagine the delight of the cluster of REM fans who witness them in beer drenched bars of Athens, Georgia, suddenly see them comet into the international skyline. Similarly, before Matt Ward shared a touring bill with Norah Jones, years back, he played his oversized guitar in local indie-rock trio Rodriguez. With quite a few home recording taking place within backyard chicken sized shacks, it was only a matter of time before he delivered his first album Duet For Guitars # 2, now re-released by his current record label, Merge. The Americana tint and John Fahey-styled rags his future albums now carry is present here, with his breathy, graveled croon embedding warmth in these dreamy narrations of teenage reflections (“Beautiful Car”) lonesome heartache (“Good News”) and emotional redemption (“It Won’t Happen Twice”). A very welcomed re-issue that points to the artistic fullness his currents albums swell with.