Post-War (2006)

You can hear the dust in the 78-rpm grooves of Matt Ward's weathered voice, and it's a beautiful thing. Trouble was, past CDs sounded as if they were recorded in the 78-rpm era too. Ward's fifth album Post-War cuts through the cobwebs without losing the warmth, thanks to producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley), who brings a lustrous but low-key grace to the arrangements. From the surf-rocking ''Neptune's Net'' to the soul-dipped ''Eyes on the Prize,'' Ward's talents have never been more persuasively showcased.