“I know a good man who will sing until his own heart explodes.”
So sings Mark Waldoch on “Your Uncertain Shadow,” the opening track of The Hallelujah Ward’s long-awaited full-length debut Everybody Swoons. Is it possible that Waldoch is singing about someone other than himself in that lyric? Possibly, but he fits the description to a T.
Waldoch—the singer/songwriter/guitar tech/bartender/natty dresser/man-about-town—has been a city staple since the days of Atomic Records. His voice, whether solo or with a band, is a roller coaster ride of joy, heartbreak, and catharsis. Waldoch isn’t just a Milwaukee treasure, he’s one of the sounds of Milwaukee. And joined by drummer Dan Didier and bassist Paul Hancock in The Hallelujah Ward, he’s more powerful than ever.
Everybody Swoons opens with a pair of driving indie-rock bangers: “Your Uncertain Shadow” and “Manageable Oblivion.” Both songs shimmer with Waldoch’s guitar, swoop and dive with his voice, and barrel along with the force of the Didier/Hancock rhythm section. “I’m on stage and the lights are turning blue / My bandmates’ dreams are dearly out of tune,” Waldoch sings on the latter, his voice playfully cracking on the final word.
The record then settles into the groove of “Crown,” “Nobody’s Ghost,” and “Diet Suicide,” with none of the songs coming in under six minutes. “Crown” adds languid electronic flourishes to the mix, “Nobody’s Ghost” takes the form of an increasingly anguished waltz, and “Diet Suicide” (with a vocal assist from Liv Mueller) gives the record its most chugging and rocking moments yet. “Social Grace” is Everybody Swoons‘ sleeper hit, a beefy-but-jangly indie-rock throwback with unlikely references to Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo and Sydney Pollack’s The Way We Were. Waldoch’s songwriting is especially sharp here (“Stop treating me like a green room and I’ll stop treating you like the stage,”) and the song’s chorus is pure bliss.
Finally, “The Ring Of Brightest Angels Around Heaven” is a Bowie-esque slow-burn with some nice acoustic touches, and closer “Back Of The Line” acts as one last extended, psych-tinged cry of catharsis. “My unused years you may decline, but then you get to the back of the line,” Waldoch howls in the final moments.
Recorded and mixed by Kevin Dixon (Brief Candles) and mastered by Justin Perkins (Mystery Room Mastering), Everybody Swoons is the full-length masterpiece promised by 2024’s I Forced Myself To Live, Charlie Bee EP. “I know a good fan who can sing until his own heart explodes,” Waldoch sings near the end of “Your Uncertain Shadow.” Maybe he’s the fan this time around, or maybe we’re the fans. Either way, beware those exploding hearts.
The Hallelujah Ward will celebrate the release of Everybody Swoons Friday, June 6 at Cactus Club. Caley Conway will play in support. Also: Happy birthday, Shea!
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