M Ward - Borderline, London, 25/2/2009
by Daniel Cressey
published: 19 / 2 / 2009

intro
At a show at the Borderline in London and the only British date on his current European tour, Dan Cressey is captivated by M Ward's unique and unfeasibly beautiful blend of alt-folk and alt-country
As soon as M Ward comes on stage his strange, other-worldly voice floats over the crowd and the captivated reaction means there is no doubt this is something quite special. Sounding somewhere between a whisper and choir, it is utterly unmistakeable and totally unique. Starting with just himself, a guitar and that voice, Ward’s almost unfeasibly beautiful alt-folk/alt-country songs entrance and astound in roughly equal measure. By the time one of his band joins him to take up a whistling part on ‘Lullaby + Exile’ the crowd looks like they could take more of the same all night. As the rest of the band soon also come on stage, Ward’s foot stamps, however, firmly on the pedal. With a full band in effect the gig swerves into an old-fashioned rock and roll night. It stays just the right side of a ho-down with accomplished covers of 'The Entertainer' and 'Roll Over Beethoven' joining his own material. Equally at home playing full-on electric solos as with carefully plucked acoustic melodies, Ward exhibits the rare mix of not only writing great songs but living up to them with his own playing. Stomping piano songs melt with plaintive acoustic guitar supplications and never once let down the promise of that entrance. If you see two gigs this good this year you can count yourself lucky. It remains fundamentally baffling that Ward is not vastly more famous.
Picture Gallery:-


live reviews |
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 28/6/2009 |
![]() |
Sarah Mwangi finds Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter M Ward moving back in time with a surprisingly nostalgic and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll set the night at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham |
reviews |
Hold Time (2009) |
![]() |
Confident-sounding latest album from Americana-based singer-songwriter and cult artist M Ward, whose attempt on this record to break into classic pop territory is both highly impressive |
most viewed articles
current edition
Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every SongArmory Show - Interview with Richard Jobson
Colin Blunstone - Thalia Hall, Chicago, 16/7/2025
Bathers - Photoscapes 1
Visor Fest - Valencia, Spain, 26/9/2025...27/9/2025
John McKay - Interview
Billie Eilish - O2 Arena, London, 10/7/2025
Robert Forster - Interview
Sir Tim Rice - Interview
Loft - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPManic Street Preachers - (Gig of a Lifetime) Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, December 1999
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Pixies - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Oasis - Oasis, Earl's Court, London, 1995
Prolapse - Interview
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Paul Clerehugh - Interview
Doris Brendel - Interview
Simon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
most viewed reviews
current edition
Sick Man of Europe - The Sick Man of EuropeLucy Spraggan - Other Sides of the Moon
Amy Macdonald - Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
Phew, Erika Kobayashi,, Dieter Moebius - Radium Girls
Davey Woodward - Mumbo in the Jumbo
Alice Cooper - The Revenge of Alice Cooper
Bush - I Beat Loneliness
Blueboy - 2
Cynthia Erivo - I Forgive You
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart