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Mar 4, 2016The result is an album that rocks out a little more than its predecessors, while not giving up the factors that made Ward’s music so great to begin with.
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Mar 4, 2016Rain is, undoubtedly, about feeling like everything’s gone to hell--and Ward handles such a bleak worldview beautifully, with earnest lyrics and bare-bones arrangements.
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Mar 4, 2016As one would expect, the 12 brief songs on M. Ward’s More Rain hit, plow, and bulldoze their way right into the sweet-spot of joyous existential-wonderment.
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Mar 2, 2016Within Ward's canon, More Rain may not work overtime to distinguish itself, but like nearly all of his releases, it's a companionable listen with a lot of craft hidden under its layers.
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Feb 26, 2016Originally envisioned as a nod to doo-wop, the album soon blossomed thanks to the involvement of various aides-de-camp, including Peter Buck, kd Lang and Neko Case. Yet their contributions are subtle, adding gentle harmonies and instrumental prowess to tiny, emotional epics.
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UncutFeb 23, 2016The lack of ironic twists is both slightly unsettling and hugely refreshing. [Apr 2016, p.83]
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Feb 23, 2016More Rain really is a special kind of listen. [Jan/Feb 2016, p.60]
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Q MagazineFeb 23, 2016Even at its most melancholy, there's a warmth and brightness to M. Ward's eighth solo album. [Apr 2016, p.110]
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Mar 3, 2016On his eighth solo studio album, More Rain, Ward once again taps into the familiar echoes of musical history, crafting a breezy, uptempo collection of tracks that show off his songwriting talents as well as his wide array of influences.
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Mar 9, 2016As much as More Rain might suggest dim lighting and general gloom, Ward actually gives us a fun ride (even with songs like “Slow Driving Man”) through a series of meditations, character studies, and temptations and confessions until it feels like a well-earned (and non-escapist) escape.
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Mar 2, 2016In these subtler moments, Ward's genius is undeniable; if he employs more of that lighter touch on his follow-up, it'll be the classic that More Rain falls just shy of being.
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Mar 3, 2016More Rain is a graceful, though somewhat unrewarding member of that career.
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Feb 26, 2016More Rain finds Ward playing genre bingo with generally enjoyable results, including a tasteful homage to T. Rex and a well-handled country number about his Christian faith.
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MojoFeb 23, 2016Ward opens More Rain with the sound of a deluge outside before going on to ponder the vast gulf between the American Dream and its less glamorous reality, but the final glitterbeat stomp of I'm Going Higher he finishes with the sun on his face. [Apr 2016, p.94]
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Mar 11, 2016Though it’s mostly a pleasant record, there’s not much from it that sticks around long after listening--for all the talk of deluge, More Rain manages to wash itself away.
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Mar 1, 2016The wheels on the record don’t just tremble and squeak--they completely detach. Eight solo albums in, M. Ward’s indie folk wagon finds itself stuck in the mud.