CD Odyssey Disc 1420: She & Him

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey! This next record is a perfect fit for a rainy November day like today. It is good at other times as well.

Disc 1420 is…. Volume Two

Artist: She & Him

Year of Release: 2010

What’s up with the Cover? A little girl with a half a face listens to a tin can on a string. You can’t see it, but a little boy (also with half a face) is on the back cover doing the same. It’s all very twee.

How I Came To Know It: I believe I read about these guys on some “best of” album lists. I can no longer remember where. Anyway, I read a lot of music reviews and “best of” lists. That and direct recommendations from people is how you discover when you don’t have any interest in the radio or randomly generated playlists (which I do not).

How It Stacks Up: I have two She & Him albums; this one and Volume 3 (reviewed back at Disc 1067) Of the two, this one wins out.

Ratings: 4 stars

Some music just makes you feel good in that carefree and easy way that you get from a romantic walk in the rain. Not a real walk in the rain, where you get water in your shoes and your glasses mist up. Nope – the kind of walk in the rain where everyone is wearing brightly coloured gum boots and umbrellas aren’t for keeping you dry so much as they’re props for spinning about in time to the music.

If that sounds a bit sugary and unrealistic, then it should. She & Him lives in a world of colour, light and wonderment. The whole experience would come off schmaltzy and saccharine if it weren’t for the fact that She & Him singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel is so damned talented. These three-minute pop songs are like Fabergé eggs: tiny, ornate, and perfectly crafted.

Deschanel is only one half of She & Him (the ‘him’ is M. Ward, an indie pop starlet in his own right). However, the ‘she’ of the band is also the most important part. Deschanel’s voice is bright and cheerful, with a natural feel for the pocket. Her style is reminiscent of old school sixties pop tunes, innocent and full of bounce.

She has a natural joy to her delivery that is honest and reassuring, even when she’s telling a tale of heartache. On “Me and You” when Deschanel sings “You gotta be kind to yourself” it is like she’s giving you permission. And then you do and find yourself staring idiot-like into the middle distance at a traffic light. But it is a good idiot stare. For that moment you’re not lost, you’re just lost in the moment. When the walk symbol flashes, you’ll find yourself safely back, ready to twirl your umbrella and splash in some puddles.

Deschanel writes all but two of the songs, and she has a natural gift for a pop hook. Every single one is a toe-tapper, and like a good pop song they just get better as they become more familiar, as the ear begins to anticipate what’s coming next. Like the lyrics, the tunes are uncomplicated, but exactly what is needed to convey the emotion of the moment.

Two of the songs are covers of seventies tunes cuts I’d never heard before: “Ridin’ In My Car”by NRBQ and a disco song by Viola Wills called “Gonna Get Along Without You Now.” I checked out the originals and preferred the She & Him version both times. That said, the Viola Wills tune is a seriously groovy bit of disco and worth a listen in its own right. In the hands of Deschanel and M. Ward both tunes become whimsical little ditties.

Ordinarily I’d be complaining that the record lacks gravitas, but that isn’t true. For all the carefree fun on the surface, there is lots of homespun wisdom on “Volume Two” and emotional range as well. Because it is all buried in up tempo twee pop may not work for you, but I would say don’t knock it until you try it. The world is already full of plenty of doom and gloom. So as we descend into these days of early darkness and overcast skies, I suggest you be kind to yourself, and give this record a listen.

Best tracks: In the Sun, Don’t Look Back, Me and You, I’m Gonna Make it Better, Over It Over Again, Brand New Shoes