Pop Notes.('Hold Time', 'Black John')(Sound recording review)

The singer-songwriter M. Ward established a loyal following in the course of the decade before his breakout album, last year. Somewhat confusingly, that effort was a side project, a duet album with the actress and singer Zooey Deschanel recorded under the name She & Him, which dominated both critics' lists and the playlists of upscale gift shops. Now Ward is releasing "Hold Time" (Merge), his first post-She & Him solo album and his seventh record over all. The opener, "For Beginners," provides a refresher course in Ward's method: gentle vocals; lovely melodies; romantic and spiritual lyrical concerns. The song balances the modest intimacy of country-flavored folk with showy, almost glam-rock hooks. When Ward sings "So draw back your bows, you hunters," it's impossible not to think of Leonard Cohen, just as when he sings "absolute beginners" it's impossible not to think of David Bowie. Similarly, "Never Had Nobody Like You" attaches the stomping rhythm of Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll (Part 1)" to a sweet little love song. Ward, a folkie at heart, depends on direct borrowing: "Jailbird" uses lyrics from Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood," ...