M. Ward – What a Wonderful Industry

A musician writing about his own industry can go so wrong....
M. Ward : What a Wonderful Industry
7.8 Self-released
2018 

M. Ward : What a Wonderful Industry

A musician writing about his own industry can go so wrong. Between feeling very inside and coming off like a self-important rant, it’s generally not good to hear a singer sing about being a singer. Make a whole record of songs so inspired, and make it a self-released, surprise drop, from a musician known to be prickly? It has all the hallmarks of self-indulgence, like Morrissey complaining about his Smiths bandmates after their lawsuit. But M. Ward actually has the skills, the charm, and even some of the lyrics to pull it off with What a Wonderful Industry.

So yes, M. Ward sings about both the heroes & villains of his industry, though it is the downsides that are certainly most notable. “Arrivals Chorus” is about weary arrivals, the following “Miracle Man” about those who think they’re hit-makers, “Shark” deals with said type of music manager, “Poor Tom” is the poor traveling musician, “Kind of Human” about the girl who breaks hearts without blinking an eye (that he taught how to do that – hopefully not Zooey Deschanel, his partner in She & Him), “Bobby” about a New York music critic (Village Voice’s Robert Christgau?), and “Sit Around the House” about people who do that. Subtle, this record is not.

Yet those expressions are laid over M. Ward’s musical ability, as well as diversity, key to keeping this record from feeling one-note. “Arrivals” is relaxed and tropical, while “Miracle Man” is fifties garage (even citing the Wolfman). “Shark” might be obvious, but is also ominous. “Sit Around” and “Bobby” are fun rockers, while “Poor Tom” is old school blues. And there are cheerier pieces, if not as memorable, like the ride that is “Motorcycle Ride” or the sly come-on “A Mind Is the Worst Thing To Waste” – plus the requisite M. Ward instrumental, “Return to Neptune’s Net”.

With its subject matter and quick self-release, many are going to pass over What a Wonderful Industry (hopefully Ward was never complaining about his usual label, Durham’s great indie imprint Merge Records), and there are times where it does feel preachy, even rant-y. But underneath all of that is M. Ward’s skill & delivery.

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