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A Wasteland Companion

M. WardAudio CD
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)

Price: $9.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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MP3 Music, 12 Songs, 2012 $9.49  
Audio CD, 2012 $9.99  
Vinyl, 2012 $19.98  

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Clean Slate 2:51$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  2. Primitive Girl 3:10$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  3. Me And My Shadow 2:36$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  4. Sweetheart 3:31$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  5. I Get Ideas 2:39$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  6. The First Time I Ran Away 3:18$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  7. A Wasteland Companion 2:54$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  8. Watch The Show 3:40$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  9. There's A Key 2:52$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen10. Crawl After You 3:40$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen11. Wild Goose 2:35$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen12. Pure Joy 2:57$0.99  Buy MP3 


Amazon's M. Ward Store

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Biography

M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion

“I can trace all my songs to a specific moment,” M. Ward told a New York Times writer in February of 2009, as he was about to release, Hold Time, his acclaimed third release for Merge Records. “Sometimes it’s as insignificant as a friend of yours saying something, a turn of a phrase. Other times it’s like an epiphany moment or ... Read more in Amazon's M. Ward Store

Visit Amazon's M. Ward Store
for 18 albums, 8 photos, 5 videos, and 2 full streaming songs.

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Includes FREE MP3 version of this album Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

A Wasteland Companion + Hold Time + Post War
Price for all three: $35.71

Buy the selected items together
  • Hold Time $11.99
  • Post War $13.73

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product Details

  • Audio CD (April 10, 2012)
  • Original Release Date: 2012
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Merge Records
  • ASIN: B0070XEQKA
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,153 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The album, consisting of 12 stunning tracks, was made with 18 musicians and recorded in eight different studios in Portland, Omaha, New York City, Los Angeles, Austin and Bristol (UK). Ward s honey-soaked vocals, deft finger-picking, innate sense of melody and beguiling lyrics have already cemented his reputation as one of America s true musical treasures and A Wasteland Companion features some of the finest songwriting and most striking delivery of his career. With each and every recording Ward finds new ways to make the colors of his songwriting palate sparkle and his dexterous skills as producer, arranger, guitarist and singer seem to burst into even brighter bloom on each release.

A Wasteland Companion features the talents of M Ward (piano, guitars, voice, production), Mike Coykendall (percussion, bass), Giant Sand's Howe Gelb (piano), John Parish (percussion, marimba), Bright Eyes Mike Mogis (organ), Susan Sanchez (vocals), She & Him's Zooey Deschanel (vocals), Jordan Hudson (percussion), Adam Selzer (bass), Nathan JR Andersen (piano), Scott McPherson (percussion), Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley (percussion), Dr Dog's Tobey Leaman (bass), Devotchka's Tom Hagerman (strings), Oakely Hall's Rachel Cox (vocals), Amanda Lawrence (violin), John Graboff (pedal steel) and Tyler Tornfelt

Customer Reviews

I just wish M. Ward could get back to making amazing albums. C. Coppola  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Sounds great, and another solid entry to the M. Ward albums. N. Ernst  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Back around the campfire with M. Ward April 10, 2012
Format:Audio CD
For those only familiar with Matthew Ward's work as the Him in Zooey Deschanel's pastiche to `60s pop and aw-shucks charm in She & Him, A Wasteland Companion opener "Clean Slate (For Alex & El Goodo)" is probably a bit of a curveball. Yet after years of working behind the curtain in both She & Him and with more outspoken rock revivalists Conor Oberst, Jim James and Mike Mogis in the Monsters of Folk, this is the M. Ward longtime fans will be delighted to hear - Ward's husky, ashen voice ruminating over barely there acoustic strumming, losing itself in the simple campfire pleasures of storytelling and the barely there hiss of an AM radio. Ward's production talents really started to shine through with his last solo effort, 2009's Hold Time, and the aforementioned work with She & Him and his more esteemed partners in Monsters of Folk hit on familiar Ward touchstones: Brill Building pop, Chuck Berry homage, and dyed-in-the-wool `60s Americana. A Wasteland Companion, Ward's seventh album, continues to touch on all of these influences at one point or another. "Clean Slate" is where Ward's heart belongs though, resting in the shadowy period between the blues and British Invasion pop, a time when recording on more than one track was a studio trick in itself. The sparse tribute to Big Star is striking in its simplicity, and although A Wasteland Companion goes to great lengths to show Ward's dexterity as a producer, few artists can transport a listener as easily as Ward does on "Clean Slate" with just an acoustic and that inimitable voice.... Read more ›
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars oh man i wanted to love this one April 15, 2012
Format:Audio CD
m. ward is one of my favorites. his ability to turn solitude into beautiful music is peerless these days. from "undertaker" to "post-war" to the best cover of "rave on" of all time, m. ward's got the goods. i cannot emphasize enough how psyched i was for "a wasteland companion." first, the title is excellent. second, "the first time i ran away" showcases his songwriting talents as well as any other track he's produced to date. but, from start to finish, this album is his least ambitious and feels so rushed that it makes me wonder who was in charge of its production. was it m. ward? i'm not sure. it's one thing if it felt rushed from a production standpoint -- great garage albums exist, of course -- but there is so little life and emotion in this record that i feel like he was held at gun point to record whatever came to mind. in general, it's forgettable. he can redeem himself, to be sure, but this album is clearly the low point in his career, and it feels really strange to type it.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed July 10, 2012
By Moodman
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was ready for something big after "Hold Time" and M's other work of the last few years. The first half of this project started to deliver and then, to me, seemed to fizzle. Judging from the other reviews, many take an opposite view. Apparently there are two M. Ward camps and at least two sides to Mr. M. himself. All I know is that there was only one song I didn't care for on "Hold Time" or "Post War" and I haven't really even listened to the She & Him stuff. I'll be looking for the next product; another Monster collaboration maybe?
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Music Initiative Review June 5, 2012
Format:Audio CD
From the stark contrast of songs that seem to flow like day to night, to his exceedingly compelling and shadowy voice, to the dynamic openness and echoing sounds of the guitar, A Wasteland Companion is a definite representation of M. Ward's masterful skill and timeless sound. For his eighth solo project, M. Ward delivers this tight knit collection of 12 songs that, although vastly different, seem to connect in an overall beautiful way. None of the songs reach four minutes, but nothing seems missed or left out. "Primitive Girl" has a fun and poppy piano feel, but fades into what seems like a completely different song, going somewhere dark and chilling. His classic vocal and guitar mix is best illustrated in "The First Time I Ran Away," where he seems to be floating over his own fluid guitar playing with textured yet soft spoken vocals. Even Zooey Deschanel, who worked with Mr. Ward on their critically acclaimed music duo She & Him, makes a charming appearance on the fun rock cover of Daniel Johnston's "Sweetheart." Although only a brief thirty minutes in length, this album is worth repeated listens.

By Ace Alexander
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent March 7, 2013
By Toby
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
A Wasteland Companion is just what the doctor ordered for 2012. I needed a year of rebirth and M. Ward gave me my soundtrack for the genesis. I highly recommend this album and would put it in my top 5 favorites of 2012.
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5.0 out of 5 stars awesome. February 19, 2013
Format:Vinyl|Amazon Verified Purchase
(: this is my favorite album of 2012. it's a must have on vinyl! from start to finish I love it.
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4.0 out of 5 stars A nice album February 17, 2013
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
M. Ward is new to me. I picked this up on a whim because I had listened to a track on a Sampler Site. (Under the Radar magazine often gives away free music to LOTS of indie bands- some signed, some not)He is a quiet singer with a pleasant voice, with lots of acoustic electric guitar. A very introspective song writer. He would feel right at home in a coffee house playing solo or a small cabaret. At first I was not impressed at all. But I always give an album I don't like at least three full listening sessions at different times of the week. (sometimes I'm just not that into it the 1st time) During these listening sessions I came to appreciate the music for it's simplicity and lyrics. I now enjoy listening to the record quite often, and sometimes even find myself singing along. Not too shabby for an impulse buy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive talent
I heard about M Ward a couple of years ago, and have been eagerly awaiting his new releases since. He has never disappointed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Seachelle
4.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant and Vaguely Memorable Sunday Afternoon
The first thought that hit me upon listening to M. Ward’s latest release is that this is a perfect NPR album. Read more
Published 4 months ago by River
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
M. Ward consistently makes great albums. I almost want to say better and better, but they all tend to be a bit different and unique and I love that after listening to a song a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by K. Rafalski
5.0 out of 5 stars Another solid M. Ward album
Sounds great, and another solid entry to the M. Ward albums. I especially like "Watch The Show." There's this thing where he makes albums and seems like he's trying very hard to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by N. Ernst
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, solemn album.
Forgive my brief review. First time caller, long time listener... Compelled to write a review due to the low rating. I've never listened to She and Him, and didn't know who M. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Shane W. Russell
3.0 out of 5 stars s'okay
I've been waiting for him to top Post-War: Poison Cup, Chinese Translation. It hasn't happened yet. Read more
Published 6 months ago by K. Daejin
3.0 out of 5 stars Probably not his best effort
But some of the songs grow on you after repeated listenings. Seems like he took a different direction with this album, which I'm sure some folks will love but I prefer his other... Read more
Published 6 months ago by W. G. Kuhn
4.0 out of 5 stars Not at all disappointed
I loved the whole album. I'm not a fan of Zooey's style, but her presence on this album is ok, not too irritating. I'm just happy to hear Mr. Ward do his thing, stylistically. Read more
Published 7 months ago by TM Magnesson
5.0 out of 5 stars on heavy rotation
I really like M. Ward but sometimes I think his lyrics and music are a bit indulgent. This album is much lighter and more joyful than many of his previous albums. Read more
Published 9 months ago by nkb
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