M. WARD Transistor Radio LP Merge Lambchop Wilco NM

$

88

Artist: M. Ward Title: Transistor Radio Label / Catalog #: Merge Records; MRG260, original 2005 pressing. CONDITION: Vinyl and cover is in beautiful NM condition!! Amazing looking!! The cover is still in shrink and has the promo sticker still attached to the shrink! What an amazing find! Here's what allmusic.com had to say: Listening to M. Ward's breezy ode to radio's forgotten heydays is a lot like taking in a huge breath of dust-bowl wind -- however, its charms are rooted in the hazy lemonade-sipping of summer rather than the great depression-obsession of the post-O Brother, Where Art Thou? mainstream. Ward's voice is a slap-delayed pastiche of Ron Sexsmith's easygoing croon and Andrew Bird's closed-mouth drawl, and like his front-porch fingerpicking, it's as effortless as it is effective. Transistor Radio begins with a lovely instrumental version of the Pet Sounds classic "You Still Believe in Me," then drops the needle on "One Life Away," a lo-fi shout-out to the radio towers of old that centers around the sly and condemning lines "To all the people in the ground/Listening to the sound of the living people walking up and down the graves/Well one of them is mine/I'm visiting my fräulein/She's only one breath away." Many have used the "fake old 78" approach before, but in Ward's hands it sounds truly genuine, and his falsetto harmonizing is as spooky as the song is sweet. While the rest of Radio plays out like a sequel to 2003's excellent Transfiguration of Vincent, with standout cuts like "Sweethearts On Parade," "Hi-Fi," and "Paul's Song" echoing that record's marvelous title track ("Vincent O'Brien"), there's a subtle optimism at work here that was only hinted at on previous recordings, and by the time he wraps the whole thing up with a gorgeous rendition of J.S. Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier," it's become apparent which fork in the road this eccentric troubadour has chosen, and it's generously dotted with pregnant storm clouds. GENERAL INFO Paypal only please. Payment due within 7 days of auction’s close. Shipping to continental U.S. only. Unfortunately, this excludes Canada, Hawaii and Alaska. Feel confident when bidding because I have 100% positive feedback after over 290 transactions! I use Goldmine’s grading standards and grade conservatively. I mail all records in sturdy record mailers to ensure no damage occurs during shipping. Also, if you would like faster shipping than media mail’s 9 days feel free to message me after you’ve won and I will send you an invoice with an updated shipping rate. Thanks for looking!