In the Sun

It's been a few days since I've updated anything because it's been so busy around here. New tours are flooding in (Lady Gaga being one of them) and they're sucking the life out of me. However, a couple of things have remained constant these last few weeks: my love for She & Him Volume Two and Zooey Deschanel (Don't get me wrong; Lindsay is ace, but she knows at the end of the day that Zooey is my ultimate dream-girl haha). Since its release date of March 17, She & Him's sophomore release entitled (wait for it...) Volume Two has been in heavy rotation at our house. I would not be exaggerating if I told you that I have played this record at least twice a day since March 17, in fact I’m listening to it as I type this.

So you’re probably wondering what it is about this record that I love so much. Let’s rewind and talk briefly about 2008’s Volume One. There was something very fresh and fun about this record. When I listen to it, I hear elements of Motown and the Beach Boys with a twist of Patsy Cline. The lyrics are fun yet extremely revealing; for example, the opening song Sentimental Heart begins with the lyric “Cried all night until there was nothing more. What use am I as a heap on the floor? Human Devotion but it’s just no good, taking it hard just like you know I would”. To top that off, Zooey then proceeds with these fantastic harmonies that even Brian Wilson would be jealous of.

Lyrics aside, the music itself is absolutely top notch. M. Ward (album producer and musical director) is an absolute genius because he’s able to capture the warm colourful moods of these songs and blend them to Zooey’s lyrics and voice. On a side-note, after listening to this record, I started looking at the guitar in a different way and approaching it with the "less is more" mantra. I have been playing less and less with a pick and playing on subtleties rather than the obvious (I digress). Ultimately, Volume One takes the listener on a wild ride of country ballads, folk movers and pop jumpers. Usually I am not a big fan of albums that lack focus but there’s something about M. Ward’s production value and Zooey’s quirky voice that makes me fall in love with Volume One every time I listen to it.

Fast forward to Volume Two. There’s a reason why that old saying “the sophomore jinx” exists and unfortunately most bands succumb to this cliché. Fortunately, She & Him have been able to release something that (in my mind) eclipses their debut. Volume Two has more focus, better production, music, lyrics and songs in general. As cheesy as it sounds, Matt and Zooey have grown as a music duo and it shows.

Not unlike Volume One, Volume Two’s opening track Thieves is another heart-on-my-sleeve song that evokes strong feelings of vulnerability. This is the raw beauty behind She & Him and is most prominent in Volume Two. All of the songs on their latest release have so much to offer and are not veiled in pretention but simply exist as an open book. It’s a rarity these days for artists to write such intimate records that just make you LISTEN and here are a few reasons why this is so. Songs like In the Sun explain relationships in such a simple manner, yet it makes me want to dance. Don’t Look Back has an amazing feel with equally amazing harmonies. Ridin’ in My Car has a young Lennon-McCartney vibe to it with some vocals by M.Ward. With its complex harmonies and in depth lyrics, Lingering Still is Zooey’s most dynamic song. There’s a sense of longing that I get in this song on top of the fact that our protagonist is misunderstood but doing her best to become accepted. Me and You leaves you with a wonderful message that needs to be universally adopted - “You got to be kind to yourself”. Gonna Get Along Without You Now will have you humming along in no time as it’s arguably the catchiest tune on Volume Two.

I could go on and tell you more tidbits for the remaining songs, but I wouldn’t do Volume Two any justice. I suggest that you get the album yourself but will leave you with this: everything about this record is honest and genuine. This is an extremely rare trait in popular music today but She & Him make me optimistic that a change is on the horizon. There’s a real “sleeper” quality behind She & Him. On the outside, they may look and sound like a fun band, but listen closely and you’ll see that they are extremely dynamic and much more than they lead on to be.


Zooey Deschanel - Pretty much the coolest gal alive. Ben Gibbard, you're one lucky son of a bitch.