9/3/2006 - WONDERLIGHT REVIEW
South Florida Sun Sentinel by Sean Piccoli
Rock
DIANE WARD: With her husky, rock-perfect voice, Miami singer- songwriter Ward has never required much accompaniment. She’s more than made do with guitar, bass and drums for the majority of her work onstage and in the studio. But her new album, Wonderlight (Shinytown Records), adds to the ensemble without injury to Ward’s heartfelt singing. The opening track Fall From Summer rolls out in dreamy, Beatlesque waves. Plucked violin strings add a baroque touch to the title track, while Messed Up glides along wistfully on piano and a low-key electronic pulse. It’s all still unmistakably Ward — joined again by her longtime guitar player and co-producer, Jack Shawde. But Wonderlight finds them thinking of the studio itself as an instrument, and using it more ambitiously than ever in their songwriting. Ward performs on Saturday at Tobacco Road, 626 S. Miami Ave., Miami. Showtime is 10 p.m. Call 305- 374-1198 or visit tobacco-road.com.

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