Even though Portland-based singer/songwriter M. Ward may best be known as one of the main frontrunners of today's emerging genre of new folk, but his music ironically boasts an old-timey feel. Ward's raspy voice, though he is a self-proclaimed non-smoker, turns each of his songs into a smoky lullaby for lovers and the heartsick. His albums, like Post-War and Hold Time, feature guest appearances from other renowned folk artists such as Neko Case, Lucinda Williams and Zooey Deschanel (who is also the other half of Ward's more pop-focused side project, She & Him). Therefore, each meticulously crafted album serves not only as a collection of beautiful songs but also as a who's-who list of 21st Century folk singers, marking M. Ward, himself, as leader supreme.
