She & Him
Music Release
Volume Two
Volume Two is the second studio album by She & Him, the musical collaboration between M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel. If Volume One, was a pleasant indicator that not all actresses should stick to their day jobs then Volume Two proves that Deschanel is successfully establishing herself as a singer-songwriter to be reckoned with, having penned the eleven original tracks which make-up this thirteen track album. (Alongside two well chosen cover-versions)
Although the lyrical content is nothing new, conveying tales of true love, heartbreak and moving on when ‘we all get the slip sometimes,’ Deschanel’s strength is in the infectiously catchy way that she crafts her songs. Her charming vocals, alongside the retro-pop instrumentation of Volume Two makes this an album not for those who want to wallow with the demise of a relationship but those who want the perfect soundtrack to move on from it. It’s always dangerous to try and give a modern day artist a vintage sound but for She & Him this works due to the production skills of M.Ward.
Stand-out tracks include the guaranteed hip mover, Don’t Look Back and the more folk/rock tinged, Lingering Still. The first single from the album, In the Sun also highlights the sunny, California background which Deschanel incorporates into her song-writing given her up-bringing there. Although vocally the album is much more she rather than him, on Sing, Deschanel and Ward’s only duet, they show that their vocals can come together as effectively as their working relationship.
She & Him, Volume Two is out now.
Review by Breda Doherty