The Storm
ZZ Ward · 2017
36 min · 11 tracks
A vibrant blend of blues, rock, and pop inflected with soulful vocals and raw emotional energy.
Top tracks — play these first
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Ghost — This track opens the album with a haunting melody that perfectly captures Ward's signature blend of soulful emotion and bluesy grit.
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Cannonball — With its upbeat tempo and catchy chorus, this song showcases Ward's ability to fuse pop sensibilities with deep-rooted blues influences.
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Let It Burn — The emotional depth and vulnerability in this ballad illustrate Ward’s lyrical prowess while highlighting her powerful vocal delivery.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting but lacks a fully cohesive flow across its runtime.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks feature a consistent mid-tempo groove, while the fourth track introduces a slower, more introspective feel.
- Several songs incorporate call-and-response vocal patterns, enhancing the interaction between ZZ Ward's voice and the instrumentation.
- The album closes with two tracks that gradually increase in tempo, creating a sense of urgency as it reaches its conclusion.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- emotional anthems for self-reflection
- short bursts of vibrant energy
- cathartic release through bluesy vocals
- dynamic storytelling in each track
Maybe skip if you
- prefer lengthy, sprawling compositions
- seek purely instrumental soundscapes
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in early 2017, The Storm is ZZ Ward's sophomore album, following her 2012 debut, Til the Casket Drops. At this point, she was establishing her presence in the music scene, building on the momentum from her initial success and expanding her artistic range.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Alice Merton· Lissie· Grace Potter
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Ghost 2:59
- 2 Cannonball 3:58
- 3 Help Me Mama 3:05
- 4 The Storm 3:13
- 5 Domino 2:50
- 6 Let It Burn 3:08
- 7 Bag of Bones 3:17
- 8 She Ain’t Me 2:51
- 9 If U Stayed 3:32
- 10 Hold On 3:12
- 11 Ride 4:04
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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