Rolling Stone (p.66) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "His immaculately arranged Americana is still as comfortable as an old cardigan, but now there's a hint of sunshine in the melodies..."
Entertainment Weekly (p.68) - "HOLD TIME does, in fact, feel timeless, a musical wanderer's dusty, train-hopping tour through folk, blues and country." -- Grade: A-
Alternative Press (p.107) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is sixth studio album comes teeming with lush compositions and fluttering melodies."
CMJ - "[W]ith plenty of echoey, hushed ballads like 'Jailbird' that could only be called classic Ward."
Billboard (p.33) - "From the shimmering, upbeat opener 'For Beginners' to the ominous instrumental 'Outro,' HOLD TIME highlights the full range of the singer/songwriters' styles."
Q (Magazine) (p.105) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is most playful and eclectic yet, ranging from the Beach Boys-meets-ELO baroque pop of 'To Save Me' to the tear-stained and gin-soaked 'Oh Lonesome Me'..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.111) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Bringing out the too-often buried pop nuances of his stylish songs and new invention from his under-rated guitar work, it's a stylistic cloth that Ward seems very comfortable wearing."
Blender (Magazine) (p.64) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "He murmurs heartsick ballads while his acoustic guitar reflects the country-blues fatalism of John Fahey..."
Paste (magazine) (p.53) - "'Jailbird' is quintessential Ward with string embellishment, 'To Save Me' rollicks fiercely, and the cover of Buddy Holly's 'Rave On' is splendid."
Pitchfork (Website) - "With mixing and assistance from Saddle Creek mainstay Mike Mogis, plus strings by Peter Broderick, Ward keeps his voice sounding lo-fi even when the production is Phil Spector-sized."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.105) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Ward has refined his sound, embracing a lusher approach....HOLD TIME features a few tracks that almost verge upon glam, Beach Boys homages and moments of driving country-rock."