Stereogum Home

 

January 6, 2009

New M. Ward Video - "Hold Time"

thumbnail icon: New M. Ward Video - "Hold Time"

Matt's reclaiming his good name from the realm of the pronouns next month with Hold Time, a 14-track followup to 2006's excellent Post War. We're excited. The album's got a nice little guest list -- Grandaddy's Jason Lytle, Lucinda Williams, DeVotchka's Tom Hagerman, Ben Gibbard's girl -- although the title track sounds like Matt alone (sounding a little like good buddy Jim James). It's a beautifully produced affair, with strings and distant pianos and a languorous tempo, all suspended animation and golden croon. M. directs, helpfully adding subtitles to black-and-white slow-motion footage of a futuristic people-mover. It's all in the contrast.

Hold Time is out 2/17 via Merge.

Posted at 10:37 AM by amrit in
Tags:




15 Comments

Pretty song and I like the melancholic feel of the video. Can't wait until this album comes out.

Posted by: Deezey profile link at 01/06/09 10:59 AM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

I keep thinking that pod is a spaceship, and the song makes me think that it's carrying the loneliest astronaut in the world.

Posted by: A Fant TND profile link at 01/06/09 11:33 AM  | Reply
Score = 5 Vote up Vote down

After that I'm not looking forward to this album as much as I hoped I would.

Posted by: jay at 01/06/09 11:42 AM  | Reply
Score = -7 Vote up Vote down

My indie-superheros can record such nice songs, but tend to put out shitty videos. I've made better videos for other bands than this (video from archive.org, mp3 from band, put together using windows movie editor).

Bleh... I doubt this video is official anyway.

Posted by: chewy at 01/06/09 11:50 AM  | Reply
Score = -6 Vote up Vote down

given that it's on his website, I'm thinking yes, it is official.
and I think it's pretty cool. fits the song's aesthetic perfectly.

Posted by: t. ward at 01/06/09 11:57 AM  | Reply
Score = 5 Vote up Vote down

seamless. feels like codeine.

Posted by: buns profile link at 01/06/09 1:20 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

That futuristic people mover is Portland's own tram, built a couple years ago. Next year, we're getting a municipal Dumbo ride.

Posted by: Portland Woot at 01/06/09 1:29 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

footage is of the new aerial tram in Portland which goes up to to Oregon Health and Science University.

http://portlandtram.org/

Posted by: A Nurse at 01/06/09 1:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Video had a "Meh" quality, but the song was awesome-- there's a lot more layers to Ward's usual song composition, more orchestral strings and faint warbled synths (and distant tolling bells too?) Gotta love that rich resonant echoing.
A Fant TND describes it best.

Posted by: Versh profile link at 01/06/09 3:13 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

He's actually shooting another new video today and tomorrow in and around Portland. It's a song that features Ben Gibbard's girl.

Posted by: dold at 01/06/09 3:23 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The strings really make that song.

Posted by: Devin profile link at 01/06/09 5:09 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

surpassing expectations already

Posted by: grover at 01/06/09 6:27 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

damn this guy is good. underrated too.

Posted by: Christian at 01/06/09 8:16 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

This whole album is available at NPR Music:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99084694

Posted by: Daniel Cook at 01/13/09 10:15 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Don't pass this album up or you'll miss big songs, like "Star of Leo".

Posted by: 5times at 01/17/09 12:15 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo