Desert Island Songs: A review of M. Ward’s “Migration Stories”

Rating: 8/10

The picture is clear to see. A man is stranded on a desert island with only an old Gibson and a bottle of whiskey, and is resting his back against a palm on the beach, slowly strumming away. This man sings a blend of sweat-soaked rock ’n’ roll and old-timey folk. He seems out of time, like the human equivalent of a ship inside a bottle.