Supernatural Thing

At first blush, M. Wards Supernatural Thing plays like business as usual. After a dozen solo albums and just over half as many with She & Him, the singer/songwriter has more or less established his own ethereal city of hazy, off-the-cuff guitar pop that evokes various eras of American music (jazz standards, West Coast pop, Delta blues, early rock, surf, country) without ever succumbing to any of them. His previous release, 2020s Think of Spring, was a sleepy collection of unaccompanied Billie Holiday-associated jazz songs. The low-key "Lifeline" begins this album in similar acoustic fashion, lazily strummed and laconically sung, with the soft retro patina that is Wards aural hallmark. From there the arrangements gather density and complexity, thanks in part to the slew of incoming guests who help color the album. Swedish duo First Aid Kit take over vocals on much of the charming "Too Young to Die," a song on which Ward doesnt even appear until a minute-and-a-half in. A classic example of his very specific finesse, its a dusty mirage of a song, drowsy and dream-like, suggesting bygone times, while speaking a contemporary language everyone can understand ("Im too young to die, spray-painted on the half-pipe"). In its lyrics and ephemeral tone, it recalls Wards 2005 highlight Transistor Radio, an intentional move by the artist, who considers Supernatural Thing to be an extension of that earlier album. Two sprightly rockers, the title cut and the Scott McMicken-assisted "New Kerrang," whip up a little dust devil, setting up the showpiece "Dedication Hour," a torchy jazz-pop duet that makes the most of Neko Cases wondrous voice. His reading of David Bowies "I Cant Give Everything Away," featuring Jim James, walks a bit farther down the boulevard of broken dreams before the tempo dials back up on the punchy "Engine 5" (again featuring First Aid Kit) and the scruffy "Mr. Dixon" (with Shovels & Rope). A stark cover of Daniel Johnstons "Story of an Artist" closes out the set. Like Andrew Bird, another prolific artist of the 2000s, Wards albums have an undeniable stamp on them that after a while may lose his more casual listeners. As the creator and master of his own distinctive palette, he delivers another nuanced and well-crafted album. ~ Timothy Monger