M. Ward — Hold Time

M. Ward wears a number of hats on this disc: country crooner, rock 'n' roller, pop auteur and back porch strummer. This is Hold Time's most notable strength and also its greatest weakness.

The variety gives birth to a number of instantly memorable songs, but it also comes off as a little schizophrenic. At 14 tracks but only 42 minutes, one could argue Ward went a little overboard. A number of songs end much sooner than they need to, since several cut and run prior to the three-minute mark.

Hold Time might have landed near perfection with fewer tracks and some extended mixes. Even so, after six studio albums, Ward has once again found a way to stay relevant and vital. With handclaps and backing coos popping up left and right, it's hard to avoid the feeling that Ward intended for this album to be a party unto itself.