M. Word - "Hold Time" (Official Video)

Like the opening to some great old movie in M. Ward's brain, the video for them title track from his new album HOLD TIME does little more than warm you up for what's about to come. It reminds me a lot of "Poison Cup," from his last album, except that he's replaced the anthematic romantic anticipation with a quiet exceptance of a relationship's end and the romance isn't coming back in any of the expected cinematic final acts. The suggests a man who's reached the point where he can stop hoping for some miracle to bring them back together, and simply view the time they spent together with a no-strings attached nostalgia.

Or not. It's a hell of a song/video, and it makes me crazy-excited for the new album, which MERGE is going to give us on FEBRUARY 17, 2009. Guest stars include: Zooey Deschanel, Lucinda Williams, Tom Hagerman from DeVotchka and Granddaddy's Jason Lytle. Check out his website, which has been updated with a new flash-into that teases us with the album's greatness even further.