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M. Ward: Making the Personal Universal

M. Ward.
M. Ward.

M. Ward has always followed his own path. Propelled by both his agile acoustic guitar work and his considerable wit and charisma, Ward's folk-blues take on classic Americana has won him countless fans and a place among the nation's top contemporary singer-songwriters.

After leaving the band Rodriguez, Ward (the M is short for Matt) released his first solo album, Duet for Guitars #2, in 2000. Though it failed to reach a large audience, the record was a darkly beautiful, enormously promising debut. Subsequent records — including 2001's End of Amnesia and 2003's Transfiguration of Vincent — gave Ward's career considerable momentum.

With his new Post-War, Ward fulfills his amazing potential. The disc's grand production values belie the intimate feel of the lyrics and melodies, which manage to sound universal and personal at the same time. This segment originally aired on Oct. 5, 2006.

Copyright 2006 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.