It's good to be alive

(Photo by vinka*)

I'll be off to see M. Ward tomorrow, at one of my favourite venues, the Bush Hall. It's a lovely, chandelier-lit room, perfect for this sort of hazy, summery, acoustic vibe. I'm looking forward to it a lot, and not least because of my new-found admiration for Mr Ward. I've been really enjoying his new album, Post War, but have not yet got around to posting about it. It's a beautiful record, full of warmth and tone, one that curls up around you and attaches itself. It kind of grows on you, and if you're new to Matt Ward, as I was, you'll find his wonderful voice lifting you up with its positivity and hope - M. Ward isn't one of those bleak-outlook kind of singer-songwriters, instead he takes the more optimistic route. It's a pretty refreshing change in these cynical days, and fits in nicely with his old-timey kind of sound, all radiotone microphones and fiddles.

Don't get me wrong, it's not old-fashioned, more that it's retro in a different direction to most of what people plunder. Good stuff. If you want to be cheered up, this record should certainly help, and more than anything, M. Ward's version of Daniel Johnston's To Go Home, a rollicking, yet sweetly sensitive and heartfelt piece that's been rolling around my lil ol' head all day. As the man says, it's good to be alive.

Daniel Johnston - To Go Home
M. Ward - To Go Home

Buy Daniel Johnston/M. Ward

Tags: M. Ward; Post-War; Daniel Johnston; Bush Hall

PS: you can find my full reviews of both M. Ward's album and the Low concert on the always wonderful Don't Worry About The Government.