M. Ward @ Enmore Theatre,Sydney (21/02/11)

Wed 23rd Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

M. Ward is an uncommon kind of guitar hero. He doesn’t write widdly solos or whammy-bar-bending songs about aliens and space, and he certainly doesn’t wear sunglasses inside. Instead, he’s a portrait of understatement, tapping out deft little rhythms alongside melodies that sound generations old. Coupled with his aged-wood voice and some impeccable songcraft, he’s a quiet pleasure in a time where most people insist on shouting.

There could be no better opening act for M. Ward than the lovely Holly Throsby. Possessed of a breathy voice that makes even the space of the Enmore feel intimate, Holly entranced the crowd with her delicate songs. Though much of the lyrical content of the material from her new album, Team, grapples with the aftermath of love, her music still possesses a gorgeous lightness of touch, suggesting at a faint optimism. Jens Birchall and Bree van Reyk did a phenomenal job as Holly’s backing band, the Hello Tigers. Playing an astounding array of instruments between the two of them, they provided depth and vitality that perfectly complimented the tune, from Bree’s clockwork percussion and Casio multi-tasking to Jens’ swooning cello.

After plugging the album launch show with the bashful charm of a schoolkid inviting a crush to a birthday party, Holly and the Hello Tigers depart the stage, leaving it a blank slate for M. Ward.

With no adornment beyond twin guitars and a baby grand, the simple stage and no-frills lighting fit neatly with M. Ward’s basic black outfit. Strolling out to roaring applause, he picked up a guitar without a word, and struck up a gorgeous instrumental piece. The strains of Duet for Guitars #3 rippled through to the surface, and M. Ward looked completely at ease despite the flashing fingers and complex rhythms.

The song’s title isn’t an idle boast – in an era where multi-tracked guitars are the norm, M. Ward is a master of the anachronistic art of making his instrument sing like there are two playing at once. It’s a marvellous thing to hear on record, but a whole other experience to see. Concentrating on material from older albums, like the classic Transfiguration of Vincent, M. Ward’s astounding talent animates his wonderful songs as he teases them out. Chinese Translation, a standout from his wonderful album Post-War, was even more languid, M. Ward’s croon stretching out like slow-poured honey over the ringing chords.

Breaking the set up, M. Ward turned to the piano that had been waiting patiently. Though not such a virtuoso on the piano as on guitar, his arrangements are elegant fits for the songs, many of which were originally guitar pieces. By way of warming up, he performed his cover of Daniel Johnston’s Story of An Artist, a song with such biting lyrics that there were a few laughs at Johnston’s harsh words.

The zippier Never Had Nobody Like You, from 2009’s Hold Time, was a notably different number than its album incarnation, replacing a Buddy Holly energy and Zooey Deschanel cameo with jangling barroom piano to superb effect. With his careworn voice and man-out-of-time aesthetic, the piano draws further similarities with the great Tom Waits, though M. Ward’s style is much less theatrical than Waits’ characteristic style.

M. Ward’s greatest talent is not his guitar playing, or his voice, but his knack for writing timeless songs. Whether it was his own solo material, the Daniel Johnston cover or the pair of Monsters of Folk songs slipped into the set, it was easy to lose yourself in his dreamy world of pre-rock melodies. M. Ward is a rare talent, and one that deserves every bit of the appreciation the crowd showed and more.