Volume Two review

He and She

Joint projects of musicians have long been seen as daily routine. Celebrities do not hesitate to try something new, join their efforts and release records of mixed quality that, however, always find listeners. It is quite understandable because such works often have little in common with what musicians do in the frames of their regular activities and serve them as a kind of creative escape. At the same time, music lovers are always interested to see the new side of their favorites’ art. A formation simply called She&Him has short roots. As simple was the title of their debut long player, Volume One. Nonetheless, the names of the people constituting this duet promoted this project better than any advertisement. The ‘he’ part here is presented by the widely known musician Matt Ward or just M. Ward. He found support in amazing actress Zooey Deschanel who also rose to prominence on the music stage too. In the spring of 2010, this couple presented their second album, Volume Two. It was rather a predictable move considering the warm welcome given by the critics and audience to their debut work.

A journey across music and time

Volume Two is similar to its predecessor not only in terms of titling, but also in terms of musical content. The members of the project are courageous to hit the road across the spaces of time and load their music with nostalgic motifs from various decades. Thus, the first track, Thieves, conveys the spirit of the fifties. Deschanel’s vocals, still technically imperfect, hooks you with its emotions first of all. It is followed by the lead-single In The Sun with excellent piano and a memorable chorus. This song takes you ahead of time straight into the sunny summer day. Ridin’ In My Car, and Gonna Get Along Without You Now are covers, yet executed with such an inspiration that if you are not well familiarized with such music you might easily believe these are She&Him original songs. The musicians will keep you intrigued offering tracks in different genres. Lingering Still is a vibrant piece with a genuine rock-n-roll chorus. I'm Gonna Make It Better is a classical country composition.

A story to be continued

As a matter of fact, She&Him was not originally seen as a big time project with a big future and a big audience. Ward occasionally found out that Deschanel had some demos of her own. Following a short e-mail correspondence, Matt and Zooey decided to give it a try. As a result, within two years, the duet produced two interesting albums. These works do not have strict stylistic limitations. Indie-rock, folk and country do not oppress each other as they form a unity on Volume One, and Volume Two. Zooey Deschanel has a vivid addiction to the music of the distant past and finds a true pleasure in writing and performing her own material. M. Ward, as a more experienced musician, regulates her creative activity and adjusts the sounding of their music to the best and most attractive standards. Now, She&Him just can not disappear off the stage. This story has to be continued.