Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly good!, 21 Jul 2008
I have to say I was a bit sceptical when I heard M.Ward was going to be collaborating with an actress - Zooey Deschanel. His solo work is so amazing that I thought this would fall well short. How wrong I was - it's not his usual style, instead of the bluesy, slightly gothic folk that he usually produces, this is a more country tinged collection of songs, sung very ably by Deschanel. M. Ward takes a more understated role, demonstrating what an accomplished guitarist he is, but not overpowering the records, instead allowing Deschanel to shine through.
The standout tracks for me are 'Why do you let me stay here?' with great guitars, tambourines & a country rock feel, and 'I thought I saw your face today' which is just beautiul, sung in such a dreamy wistful way. There isn't a dud song on the album, ok so maybe the Beatles cover 'I Should Have Known Better' isn't that great, and M. Ward's backing vocals are a bit cheesy, but even so it's got a certain degree of charm.
This album is a throwback to classic 60s/70s pop, it reminds me at times of Dusty Springfield or even Doris Day...so it's never going to be called groundbreaking. However, what I would call it is a charming, uplifting, well produced album. It puts a smile on my face everytime I listen to it
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good effort, 24 Sep 2008
Well if Scarlett Johannson can do it, why can't Zooey Deschanel, teaming up with singer-songwriter M. Ward, have a go as well? But whereas Scarlett went for an album largely based on cover versions, only three of the tracks on Volume 1 are covers (and one of those is the hidden track Swing Low, Sweet Chariot).
And, ahem, covering them first would give you a distorted view of the album as a whole. You Really Got a Hold on Me is superfluous at best and whilst the cover of the Beatles I Should've Known Better has some merit, it does come perilously close to pastiche and/or novelty. Luckily the majority of the self-penned tracks are a hell of a lot better.
The vibe is something akin to 60's pop (provided by Deschanel's melodies and lyrics) meets 50's Nashville (provided by Ward's arrangements) with a little bit of folk added in for good measure. Any notions that this is some form of vanity project from the actress is quickly dispelled by the realisation that she can sing (having already proved it to some degree in films, even if most people would remember her singing alongside Will "I'll say the name of my character over and over again because it's so hilarious" Ferrell in Elf) AND has a voice that can fit a number of styles. She can croon on Take It Back just as well as she can be playful on I Was Made For You. Mind you, would you expect anything less from an actress?
For all the positives, I can't say that I find the album a complete knock out; it's a little too slow paced, with faster, more upbeat tracks like This Is Not A Test tending to prove more memorable (a fact not helped by the fact that most of these tracks are at the beginning of the album) and where it's most obvious modern point of reference for comparison, Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat had a heart and a soul, Deschanel's lyrics do tend to verge on cliche at times.
Still, it's a strong debut album which certainly leaves you hoping that you will get to hear a Volume 2, with the hope that more pieces of the puzzle may just fall into place next time around
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~ Bon Iver
~ Fleet Foxes
~ M. Ward
~ Various Artists
~ Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
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