Pitchfork

After tackling pre-WWII American music and history on 2005's Transistor Radio, M. Ward has fast forwarded to the present, touching on modern-day issues on the upcoming Post-War, due August 22 via Merge in America  and September 4 via 4AD worldwide.

The Mike Mogis/Adam Selzer-produced album, which Ward (who grabs a production credit as well) claims to be his "first band record" according to a press release, features guest spots from Neko Case and My Morning Jacket's Jim James, as well as backup from former Decemberist Rachel Blumberg and former Thermal Jordan Hudson, a pair he has been on the road with over the past 18 months.

In an interview with Billboard.com, Ward explained that the work's theme was assisted by his perusal of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five: "Something that I think about is what is going to happen in the country once these soldiers come home -- what happens to these families that have been broken up," he said. "I like the way these kind of novels had addressed the 'coming home.'"

Post-War's 12 songs include a "rollicking honky tonk" (again, the press!) take on Daniel Johnston's "To Go Home", and the CD will also include the video for "Chinese Translation"

Tracklist:

01 Poison Cup
02 To Go Home
03 Right in the Head
04 Post-War
05 Requiem
06 Chinese Translation
07 Eyes on the Prize
08 Magic Trick
09 Neptune's Net
10 Rollercoaster
11 Today's Undertaking
12 Afterword/Rag

In support of Post-War, Ward has scheduled a fall tour of North America.

Dates:

07-22 Calgary, Alberta - Ironwood Stage & Grille
07-24 Winnipeg, Manitoba - West End Cultural Center
08-11 London, England - Bush Hall *SOLD OUT*
08-12 Oxford, England - Zodiac
08-13 Birmingham, England - Glee Club
08-15 Manchester, England - Late Room
08-16 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC 2
08-17 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
08-19 Bristol, England - Fleece & Firkin
08-20 London, England - Bush Hall
09-01 Seattle, WA - Neumos *
09-02 Vancouver, British Columbia - Plaza Club *
09-05 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre #
09-06 Omaha, NE - Scottish Rites Hall #
09-07 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre #
09-08 Chicago, IL - Metro $
09-09 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's $
09-11 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club $
09-12 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa $
09-14 New York, NY - Webster Hall $
09-15 Alexandria, VA - Birchmere $
09-16 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts $
09-17 Sommervile, MA - Sommerville Theatre
09-18 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom %
09-19 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle %@
09-20 Nashville, TN - Belcourt Theatre %
09-22 Denton, TX - Hailey's Club %
09-23 Austin, TX - Parish %
09-25 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
09-26 Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse
09-27 San Diego, CA - San Diego Woman's Club
09-28 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
09-29 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
09-30 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre

* with Mike Coykendall
# with Shelley Short
$ with Oakley Hall
% with Portastatic
@ with Lambchop