Migration Stories
by M. Ward
  • Record Label: Anti-
  • Release Date: Apr 3, 2020
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Under The Radar
    Jul 6, 2020
    80
    With this latest project, M. Ward paints a sequence of tableaus which are strung together as a patched-up pilgrimage.
  2. American Songwriter
    Apr 13, 2020
    80
    Tastefully arranged, fully cohesive and concise.
  3. Q Magazine
    Apr 7, 2020
    80
    Ward continues to set a standard few other artists can match. [Jun 2020, p.106]
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  5. DIY Magazine
    Apr 6, 2020
    80
    ‘Migration Stories’, might be his most impressionistic yet, a collection that began life as eleven woozy instrumentals that came together during sessions in Québec with two members of Arcade Fire, Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry.
  6. Glide Magazine
    Apr 3, 2020
    80
    Migration Stories is a bright sounding album that draws on Ward’s skills in creating a warm and beaming atmosphere, even if the lyrics are the direct opposite. Gentle songs and tender vocals transport the listener to a world where anything is possible. While the production of the album might sound a bit more polished than past releases, it is still unmistakably M. Ward’s sound and bound to be a favorite with fans.
  7. Uncut
    Apr 2, 2020
    80
    The result is one of his most varied but distinct albums. [May 2020, p.35]
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  8. Exclaim
    Apr 2, 2020
    80
    On Migration Stories, M. Ward doesn't change the way he delivers his material as much as he alters the way it reverberates once it hits you.
  9. Pitchfork
    Apr 13, 2020
    72
    Migration Stories simply drifts along at its own lazy pace, letting its pretty textures become the connective tissue. Sometimes, Ward’s words break through the haze.
  10. No Ripcord
    Apr 8, 2020
    70
    Some of the arrangements stick, and some of them don't, but it's always enjoyable to hear where his open-ended narratives take you.
  11. PopMatters
    Apr 3, 2020
    70
    There are moments where it drags, and others where Ward sounds less like an expert songwriter than an expert curator, re-purposing Glenn Miller's "Along the Santa Fe Trail" or reenacting Beach House's plodding, synth-drenched balladry on "Real Silence".
  12. musicOMH.com
    Apr 3, 2020
    70
    Migration Stories is a slight album, and a brisk listen – but it is a totally accomplished project.
  13. AllMusic
    Apr 2, 2020
    70
    While the retro-future production on some of the songs gives Migration Stories a distinctive flair, it's still by and large a typical Ward joint, replete with all of the idiosyncrasies and retro affectations that have become a stylistic hallmark of his catalog. Familiar as it may sound, though, he doesn't skimp on quality and there is plenty to love about this latest entry in his impressive catalog.
  14. The Guardian
    Apr 3, 2020
    60
    After 10 albums it’s hard to surprise, and Ward isn’t the first artist with a distinct style to encounter that issue.
  15. Mojo
    Apr 2, 2020
    60
    It's a beautiful warm bath of a record, but a soporific one too, better suited for wallowing within, rather than getting you moving. [May 2020, p.90]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Lajaleaa
    Jun 8, 2020
    8
    ( 84/100 )

    M. Ward se muestra no solo sincero con su propio estilo, sino que demuestra que lo tiene bien consciente que puede extenderlo en    ( 84/100 )

    M. Ward se muestra no solo sincero con su propio estilo, sino que demuestra que lo tiene bien consciente que puede extenderlo en cualquier dirección. M. Ward ha realizado varias de las canciones con las que no podría vivir sin su existencia y en "Migration Stories" nos presenta un varias más que definitivamente me acompañaran como mágicas hadas en un bosque urbano. Grabado en Montreal en el estudio de Arcade Fire, con la producción misma y de Craig Silvey, este álbum definitivamente es un arrullo de luces de ciudad y un golpe de aire en el pecho.
    -
    M. Ward doesn't only shows to be sincere with his style, but he also proves to be well aware of it to extend it to any direction he wants. M. Ward has made several of the songs with which I could not live without and in "Migration Stories" presents several more that will definitively join me as magic fairies in an urban forest. Recorded in Arcade Fire's studio in Montreal, with the production of himself and Craig Silvey, this album definitely is a city lights lullaby and a rush of wind in the chest.    … Full Review »
  2. GuitarPen
    Apr 19, 2020
    9
    On Migration Stories, M. Ward rides the elusive suffusion, which intertwines the conscious and unconscious mind. Someone tried to label itOn Migration Stories, M. Ward rides the elusive suffusion, which intertwines the conscious and unconscious mind. Someone tried to label it long ago as ‘Mellow Gold,’ but like all labels, it is superficial and, like an abstract of an abstract, fails to capture any depth. The sonic essence of this record feels like the springtime sun smacking your face after a long, cold winter. It warms you to the point of epiphany and a realization that better times are ahead of us.

    M. Ward’s 10th studio album starts slow and then grows gradually like a flower garden surrounding the listener in a bed of color. Migration Stories’ wavelength is similar to Ray Lamontagne’s super mellow vibe in Oroboros, Beck’s wistful mellowness in Sea Change, and the sun-drenched exaltation of the Beach Boys. Weave all this together with a thread of Nat King Cole, and you have a sonic experience unlike any other.

    Some of the more memorable moments include “Heaven’s Nail and Hammer,” where M. discovers heaven through the holes in the sky. “Independent Man” rides a slow fuzzy groove in and out of reality toward an uneven proclamation of unrequited obsession. “Real Silence” build on itself orchestrally to produce one of the finest tracks while the infectious “Torch” repeats the line “heartbeats in rhythm to its own, ba, ba, bahhhh” is likely to create an earworm in your brain for days. Lyrically, whether traveling through the “Unreal City” or “Along the Santa Fe Trail,” they paint a picture throughout of souls lost or in transition.

    There’s a lesson to be learned as we sit on the sand and listen to the tide gently caress the shoreline, and that is, the slower you go, the more you’ll know. Turning down the volume on our lives and moving at a more careful and deliberate pace allows us to take in more of the world around us. This, in turn, fills us with wonder and hope for a brighter future. When an E chord is introduced after three minutes of a C, G & A progression, that E chord hits your ears like a clapper hitting a church bell.

    So, take a lesson from Migration Stories and let it take you from one place to another. During these uneasy times, sometimes it’s best to let go and like swallows heading south, ride the wind and surrender yourself to nature, trusting that eventually, we will all arrive at a better place.    … Full Review »
  3. Linuxrocks
    Apr 7, 2020
    9
    This is just a simply beautiful record. It's definitely meant to be experienced front to back. Sit down and indulge in this record.
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