photo courtesy of Mike Ward

Album Review of Mike Ward: Psychosongs – The Time That Remains

Mike Ward is a Detroit-area folk singer-songwriter with an identifiable vocal delivery – in other words, a combination of his voice and the way he uses it that causes the listener to quickly know who he is and remember how much they like his music. As a singer-s0ngwriter, that’s important; it’s the difference between a good singer whose performances are enjoyed when experienced and a memorable one whose performances are sought out for the experience. Indeed, I have no doubt, Mike’s gigs attract fans who’ll travel to hear him perform.

image courtesy of Mike Ward

I became a Mike Ward fan while reviewing his previous album, Love Never Rests, last year, so I was psyched to get my copy of The Time That Remains, and yeah, this disc doesn’t disappoint. (There was, in fact, an EP in-between these two full-length discs.) If you’re a fan of Mike’s earnest, warm voice and his well-constructed, carefully designed, sometimes light and playful yet other times tear-jerking lyrics, you’ll enjoy this album as much as you enjoyed his prior efforts. On this record, Mike mans the acoustic guitar and lead vocals. He’s joined by David Roof on bass for all songs, as well as various other instruments and supporting vocalists in the mix here and there. Indeed, the two are accompanied by a variety of additional talented artists throughout the record, varying from song to song.

photo of the 1947 Gibson LG 2 from the song “Instrument For Good,” a family heirloom Mike still play at shows; photo courtesy of Mike Ward

The Time That Remains opens with a message song, “Why Not,” that kicks off with the lyric “Why not do something good today with the time that we’ve got,” leading into a soft, thoughtful folk number. Sara Gibson’s cello performance stands out as a strong contributor to this kickoff number, as do the background vocals from Annie Bacon, Kate Hinote, and Emilia Ward.

“Instrument for Good,” next, plays upon the dual meaning of “instrument,” both Mike’s guitar and his “hoping one day it could make me an instrument for good.” Like the disc-opener, it’s a smooth, pleasant, earnestly-sung number, thoughtful yet occasionally light, the latter often due to slightly amusing word choices.

“Paycheck” niftily adds mandolin from Jason Dennie (the first of three songs on the records) and pedal steel from Larry LaBeck (the first of his two appearances on the record) to sprinkle a twangy, slightly countrified seasoning on this swaying country-folk song, lifted by Mike’s additional vocal energy during the song’s chorus.

photo courtesy of Mike Ward

“Ride of Their Lives” is a wonderful, slowly rolling song – soft, but the liveliest song on the album so far – telling the life story of a couple, starting with their meeting as teenagers and extending into old age. It’s one of those songs that gives you chills if you’re in an even slightly sentimental mood. Oh, so very cool! Following that, “Paul” starts out as if it’s going to be similarly reminiscent, but then it turns tragic. (Thanks for the gut-punch, Mike!) I mean, it’s still reminiscent, but now sadly and thoughtfully so, about the impact of the song’s tragedy upon family and friends. Neat thing about this song, though, is that it’s the first of two appearances on Mike’s disc of decorated Detroit-area singer Michelle Held as a background vocalist. (Yes, I’ve reviewed Michelle once, and there’s another of her singles in my queue.) “Paul” is a great song, but the twist is not unlike getting unexpectedly slashed by the goalie while standing in front the net waiting for a centering pass.

“Pet Peeves,” next, is a playful ditty, with both picking and strumming cadences intertwined as Mike lists off oh, so many pet peeves, with some help from guest background vocalist Judy Brown. Stuff that irks Mike ranges from Ticketmaster fees to group texters, from the thought that “if only insurrectionists would get what they deserve” to stuck pant zippers. Honestly the only one of Mike’s gripes really raises my hackles is his dislike of daylight saving time, mostly because my personal dislike is standard time. But it’s a fun list, a playful tune, and oh, exactly what you need to hear after the tragedy of the preceding song.

photo courtesy of Mike Ward

“Let the New Renew You,” the first of three numbers on which Mike is joined by violinist Emily Slomovits, is an uplifting piece that’ll erase any lingering frustration with some of Mike’s pet peeves. It’s followed by “How Are You Today?” Joined again by Gibson on cello and Ward on backing vocals, both noticeably contributing to the song’s feel, the tide rises and falls pleasantly as Mike cycles back to the recurring lyric “when we had more life, why didn’t we live more?”

“Left to Ourselves” mixes smoothness in lyrics like “what is our nature, beyond DNA?” with a hoarse edginess and some uncomfortably thoughtful lyrics. Pace changes, as well, power this song, which, as a listening experience, consistently outperforms its simplicity. It kinds of blends into the next track, the somewhat sonically similar but lyrically quite different “When Kindness Comes Your Way.”

from the “Why Not” video; photo courtesy of Mike Ward

Penultimate track “Wipe Away” is a fun little guitar-pickin’ ditty, with LaBeck’s pedal steel combining to provide a tapestry that pleasantly differs from the preceding songs – the variety of instrumentation and styles, in fact, are part of what makes The Time That Remains a more interesting journey, providing twists and turns during a beginning-to-end listen that extend beyond simple song differences.

The album concludes with “What Prayer,” a super-mellow, almost lullaby-like final statement, though I suppose on a song called “What Prayer,” perhaps it’s a commandment: “Love of one another is the only truth. Love yourself first then love will follow you.” So love this album. Love each other. And love a chance to catch Mike Ward perform live, if and when it presents itself.