M. Ward and Ladyhawk: Magic Trick / Soap

Oddly enough, Southern Comfort and The Fader have partnered to issue a series of limited 7-inches. The initial release feature’s M. Ward on the a-side with Ladyhawk on the b-side. Ward delivers “Magic Trick (Kansas City Remix)”, a re-working of a track from “Post-War” that includes Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The song’s emblematic of Ward’s style, but the re-working here is mild enough that it’s really only for completists. Most of us will be less likely to have encountered Ladyhawk before, but they acquit themselves well with “Soap”, a song heavy enough to make its own space but related to sound that Ward’s a-side has initiated. The track’s meditation on mild redemption sinks in with a subtle honesty, finding the place “where nothing spills, and nothing stains / And nothing beats the lure of the lather”. With its fuzzy, uptempo guitars, the track makes itself as catchy as it is focused, and makes flipping this 7-inch a constant treat.

Listen to Ladyhawk’s “The Dugout”