Hold Time is an eloquent and startlingly beautiful album, which includes guest performances by Jason Lytle, Lucinda Williams, Tom Hagerman (DeVotchka) and Zooey Deschanel.

While past critics have compared him to everyone from John Fahey to Tom Waits to his old friend Howe Gelb, it's clear that M. Ward, with his brilliant guitar playing and innate sense of melody, is cutting his own groove.

By the day, more music fans continue to fall under his whispered spell, M. Ward is a true American treasure