M. Ward

After his foray into '50s pop with actress-cum-songstress Zooey Deschanel on She & Him's Volume One, M. Ward returns to his contemplative self with "Hold Time," the title track off his upcoming solo album (due Feb. 17), which finds Ward at his loneliest and most tender yet. And the tune's video (below) is an ideal visual fit, conveying the songwriter's lyrical yearning via black-and-white footage of a lonely tram traveling through his hometown, Portland, OR.

"I wrote this song just to remember / The endless, endless summer and your laugh / Hold time / Hold time," he croons over strings, keys, and scattered percussion, as subtitles display the lyrics during the slow-motion video.

M. Ward, "Hold Time"