Supernatural Life Story
Matthew Stephen Ward, better known as M. Ward, recently released his twelfth studio album Supernatural Thing. Ward’s sound seems to lay around the folk, classical rock and blues style, with some touches of country music. This album is a collaborative effort, with 6/10 tracks featuring other musicians, enriching the album and making it represent a shared experience.
“Lifeline” is the opening track, a vintage and acoustic sounding flurry of guitars, both acoustic and clean electrics. It’s a tranquil song that serves as a good intro for the rest of the album.
“Too Young To Die” starts similar enough to “Lifeline,” acoustic and calm. The track starts off with clean guitars and gentle percussion before Swedish duo First Aid Kit opens the song with light, youthful vocals. Ward’s deep voice contrasts theirs on the second verse. The song talks about feeling like one life is not enough, as shown in the lyric “I’m too young to die, first heard that from an old guy.” In the end, M. Ward and First Aid Kit’s voices harmonize like air and earth being lifted by wind, gentle and subtle, something that just makes sense.
Third track, “Supernatural Thing,” is a more upbeat track. Regardless, it still evokes the vibes of a laid back song. With more present drums, drooly guitars and Ward’s earthy voice, “Supernatural Thing” makes sense as the album’s namesake, a song that stands out and prepares the audience for unpredictability.
“New Kerrang” featuring Scott McMicken follows the upbeat path of the title track. With a rhythm and beat reminiscent of Elvis-inspired rock, the piano, old-timey guitars and happy drums carry the song. A lyric that stands out is “out with the new and in with the old (kerrang),” making it clear that it’s some sort of tribute to classic music and the way it lets musicians be inspired to create new things.
“Dedication Hour” featuring Neko Case and Gabriel Kahane is a slower song. It’s dreamy and vintage, with calming doo-wop harmonies and tangy guitars straight from the ’50s. The song is reminiscent of Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” sweet, romantic and lingering. The instrumentation plays with both acoustic and electric guitars, pianos and subtle strings in some parts.
“I Can’t Give Everything Away” featuring Jim James and Kelly Pratt starts off with a saxophone and ostinato guitars. Vocal harmonies set the ambience as romantic and vintage. The song serves an interlude of sorts, a clear division between the first half of the album, and the second.
“Engine 5” features First Aid Kit once again. It starts off completely different than the previous tracks on the album, with a synth-y bassline and drumsticks as the introductory percussion. Soon, guitars and drums enter, resetting the tone. Like in their previous collaboration, First Aid Kit opens the track and are later joined by Ward after the chorus. The mixing is interesting. Although impeccable as a whole, some creative decisions are certainly different from the norm. For example, the decision to filter Ward’s voice makes it seem more subdued, while First Aid Kit’s voices are clear and forward. Whilst this is unusual, due to the main artist’s voice being the one that tends to stick out the most, both “Engine 5” and “Too Young To Die” take M. Ward’s voice to the second plane, not necessarily overshadowed by the featured artist, but certainly playing second to them.
“Mr. Dixon” featuring Shovels & Rope is more of a rock track. From the beginning, the bass and drums are reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” It’s a track that experiments, not sonically, but within the structure of normality, adding some seemingly out of place frog-sounds, and very bassy sounds that could possibly be very processed vocals pitched down.
“For Good,” starts with a reeling noise used as percussion, and guitars. The main instrumentation mainly consists of guitars and vocal harmonies, with touches of other sounds and a saxophone in the end. The song is romantic, talking about how Ward’s love might be what ends him “for good,” with narrative-like lyrics that immerse the listener: “She wraps her arms around me / I’m thinking one more kiss like this will be the one that drowns me for good.”
“Story Of An Artist” is a nostalgic, introspective and melancholic track. As the name suggests, it tells the story of an artist, from being rejected by his family and pressured to “get a job,” to being criticized for what he does. It’s a heartbreaking story that externalizes any artist’s self doubt and worries for their own future. It’s a great closer, serving as a wake-up-call of sorts just as the listener is awoken at the end of the album. Overall, it’s one of the best tracks on the album which is a must listen.
Leave a Comment