Sparta - Self Titled

Available on gold wax, limited to 100 copies When it comes to his long and fruitful career in music, Jim Ward has no ulterior motives. He’s not guided by vanity or money or some grand narrative in which he’s the central player. It’s all about the song, the melody, the lyric. It’s all he needs to tell him where he’s headed. “I’ve always been a fan of listening to what the song wants to do and not forcing it,” Ward says of his embarking on the journey of writing and recording a new Sparta album, the first offering in more than a decade from the seminal post-hardcore outfit. “I’ve never sat down and said, “I’m going to write this kind of song.” Or listened to what was popular to guide me. I’ve never had that inclination. Never.” It’s Ward’s commitment to following the song’s muse, full stop, that’s led him to this point.  Or rather, what’s help guide the natural progression in a multi-dimensional talent’s musical life – one  where genre, style, tempo and even band demarcations are merel