Merge/Bella Union

With his gravelly, sweet buzz of a voice blooming over rich, Americana melodies, M. Ward ambles his way through A Wasteland Companion, his seventh solo release and an immediate contender for one of his best. Recorded in eight different studios from Portland Ore., to Bristol, England in nomadic bursts, and with an eclectic range of 18 musicians, this song collection embraces Ward’s lush fingerpicked arrangements and adds orchestral strings and plenty of sass. Zooey Deschanel, his part-time partner in She & Him, contributes her pop clarity to a few songs such as “Me and My Shadow.” Ward’s music still embodies lo-fi, rustic textures with acoustic guitar, but he has broadened his range with rollicking saloon piano in “Primitive Girl.” “The First Time I Ran Away” showcases Ward’s best features: his voice’s gruff vulnerability, lyrical poignancy and his unerring, harmonious instincts.