Written by Daniel Wright
Like an addict chasing that first high, Volume Two by She & Him tries hard to recreate the magic of Volume One. Fortunately, unlike most sequels, Volume Two doesn’t fall too far behind its predecessor. This is partially owing to the fact that Volume One was never all that original to begin with, so using the same tricks for a follow up album with the title Volume Two is only too appropriate.
She & Him are one of the few bands deserving of the somewhat arbitrary categorization of “indie-pop,” which is often used to refer to “popular independent” music. In the most snobbish sense of the terms, they are distinct. While popular indie music could refer to just about anything that is not on a major label (even then it gets fuzzy), indie-pop is a specific genre with a number of further specific sub-genres. Indie-pop/Twee-pop/C86 emerged as a counter-counter-culture to British punk-rock, in the late 1970s in that it was so overtly sweet and innocent that it made the average teen want to puke. At the same time it was the perfect sarcastic rebellion.
She & Him might sound more like country-pop than quintessential indie-pop as it was known in the ‘80s, but they fill a similar niche for those who are sick of angst-filled revolt.
The couples’ music is clean, easy listening with predictable old-fashioned song structure, and even though She & Him cross genres, they keep it simple. Furthermore, Deschanel provides an alternative feminine figure to the GaGas and Beyonces. She’s a feminine figure who isn’t afraid to sound vulnerable or shy, but with a bit more maturity than Taylor Swift. It’s an odd mix: perfectly clichéd and yet quite refreshing.
Her songs tend to have a “time capsule” quality as if they were written in any decade 40 plus years ago. Subsequently Matt Ward is her equal in instrumentation and production and is looking more Robert Downey Jr. than ever these days. The duo is clearly not above covering a tune they like, as there are two covers on each volume. Volume Two includes NRBQ’s “Ridin’ In My Car” and an impeccable cover of Skeeter Davis’ “Gonna Get Along Without You Now.” It’s gravitating to think that these covers and related artists must have been inspiration while writing, which may give you the sense of where Deschanel and Ward’s influences come from. Seemingly, unless you happen to be familiar with those songs, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them and Deschanel’s own writing. In other words, Volume Two flows easily from front to back with no disruption.
Deschanel and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) may be the cutest newly weds in contemporary music, but for some reason there are no guest appearances by Gibbard. Perhaps they’re too modest for that sort of “PDA” or maybe they’ve decided to save it for the next Death Cab album. In any case, head over to NPR.org for a free stream of the full album, which was kindly available prior to release.
Notable Tracks: “Thieves”, “Me and You”, “Home”
Listeners May Also Enjoy: Linda Ronstadt – Simple Dreams, Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
Next Sound Check: MGMT – Congratulations
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