Words by Nick Mee. @Nickjmee
His first release since last year’s absorbing ‘Golden Future Time’, David Ward’s new EP is something of a concept, a 15-minute exploration of the “kaleidoscopic unknown of this life and the next” (hope that’s cleared things up for ya), which carries the ever so slightly worrying title: ‘Transitioning: A Rhapsody In Five Parts’. Worrying, because ‘Rhapsody’ is a word forever linked to the overblown theatrics of Queen. There are certainly blasts of unabashed bombast on ‘Möbius Wave’, the second single from the EP, notably in its clamorous, grungy chorus, a rock shockwave which, if applied like Brian May’s opus to that car-journey scene in Wayne’s World, would be more suited to soundtrack the vehicle crashing. But Ward’s soulful operatic vocal is set to harmonious, subtle contrasts, too. The slow-burning percussive pound, considered guitar licks and gently rising orchestration of the lovely verses is the real bedrock of the song, and much like the work of Mercury and compadres, ‘Möbius Wave’ never fails to intrigue.
The Canadian has decamped to Europe for a few months to push this new material as well as his impressive back catalogue, and Londoners would be well advised to catch him at The Finsbury on Monday (Oct 26).
Transitioning: A Rhapsody In Five Parts is out now
See David Ward live:
Monday October 26 - The Finsbury, London N4
Thursday November 26 - The Good Ship, London NW6