She & Him, Volume Two
Album | She & Him
Effortlessly effervescent sound rooted in shimmering folk-rock and dramatic girl-group pop.
The list of competent actors who have embarrassed themselves by misguided side trips into pop music is a mile long. And then there's Zooey Deschanel. As much of a delight as the doe-eyed sweetheart usually is onscreen, the second album by her duo with indie-folk cult hero M. Ward makes plain that She & Him, Volume One was no fluke: Zooey Deschanel is a singer-songwriter who also acts, not the other way around. With the exception of an almost too-hip pair of covers (NRBQ's "Ridin' In My Car" and the perky kiss-off "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" by early '50s sister act Patience and Prudence), Deschanel wrote the entire album, downplaying the debut's country vibe in favor of an equally retro but utterly charming sound rooted in shimmering folk-rock and dramatic girl-group pop. Deschanel's sugar-sweet twang of a voice and smart, concise songwriting recalls Jackie DeShannon at her finest, and Ward's refreshingly simple production captures the intended period vibe while steering well clear of pastiche. It takes tremendous skill to make pop music that sounds so effortlessly effervescent.
-
Music Review
Floating Into The Night
Julee Cruise -
Music Review
Ultraviolet Garden
The Corner Laughers -
Music Review
The Bird and the Bee (album)
The Bird And The Bee -
Music Review
The Shadow of Your Smile
Astrud Gilberto
