She & Him - Volume One

She & Him – Volume One

She & Him, comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, are a throwback to 50’s pop, with a little bit of other sounds from other decades thrown into the mix. The reviews were abnormally positive, with Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine giving it three and a half stars out of five. It currently holds a 4 out of 5 rating on AllMusic.com. Their first album, Volume One, was released in 2008, and of all places I first heard it in American Eagle. I was a fan of Zooey Deschanel’s acting, and I liked her song in Elf, so I seeked out the rest of her music, and stumbled upon this gem.

1. Sentimental Heart (2:36) – The opening track starts with Zooey singing sweetly about a boy breaking her “sentimental” heart. The lyrics here are mediocre, with the line “What can you do with a sentimental heart?” being repeated often. The chorus has background vocals, which one can assumed be sung by Zooey, that really add to the feel of the song, one that will carry through to the rest of the album. Towards the end, with about thirty seconds left, a symbol leads into Zooey “oohing” and “aahing”.

2. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? (2:31) – This song, like the one previous, has the definite 50’s feel, but also throws in a bit of a country vibe. The guitars twang, provided by M. Ward, flows very well with Zooey’s soft voice, leading to an awesome combination and an awesome track. This was also the only single off the album.

3. This Is Not A Test (3:31) – So far this is the slowest song on the album, but not quite a ballad. Zooey does some strange things with her voice on this track, thus leading herself to struggle a bit with the high notes, and going too deep with the low notes. It somehow works to her benefit, and while this song is definitely not the best, it’s certainly not the worst, either. M. Ward provides background vocals.

4. Change Is Hard (3:03) – This song almost has a blues-y vibe going for it. Zooey’s vocals lead one to a lounge-type setting, with Zooey up on stage, swaying back and forth in front of the microphone. Not exactly different from the previous songs, but one of the better. Zooey has a great sound on this track, and Ward’s instruments are a great addition, as always. The lyrics, as the title does, suggest that “change is hard”, and Zooey’s composition relates to the majority’s feeling about change… and that it’s hard.

5. I Thought I Saw Your Face Today (2:50) – A laid-back song, the instruments seem to take a break and quiet down, leaving Zooey’s singing to take the lead. Her voice is very sensual on the track, almost enticing the listener to her. A good song.

6. Take it Back (2:37) – The slowest song on the album has Zooey talking about having her lover take his love back, because she doesn’t want, nor need, it anymore. There’s an obvious emotional tone in Zooey’s song, which leads to the assumption that this song was based on a personal experience that is still affecting her.

7. I Was Made For You (2:31) – Taking a break from the slower songs, Zooey and M. speed things up a little. The lyrics in this song are very basic and a little too sweet, honestly… yet it works very well. This song is a favorite in large part to the instrumentals. Zooey’s voice attempts to riff a little too much, and it only works a few of the many times.

8. You Really Got A Hold On Me (3:59) – This song, popularized by The Beatles, was originally written in 1962 and performed by The Miracles. It’s the longest track off the album, and one of the best. M. Ward’s sings actual words for the first time, and it really blends well with Zooey’s vocals, leading to a sweet semi-duet.

9. Black Hole (2:12) – After track 8, track 9 seems to be a different album, since the two have such different feels. Zooey spins lyrics out of her mouth while Ward continues the same few chords. A great song.

10. Got Me (2:46) – Like track 7, this song is a little too cheesy, but again, it works for sweet-natured Zooey. The chorus is a bit catchy, but overall the song is my least favorite on the album. It’s also got a little of the country twang some of the previous songs had.

11. I Should Have Known Better (3:39) – Another Beatles cover, this song was written in 1964 by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the album “A Hard Day’s Night.” The Beach Boys also did a fairly popular cover in 1965. The song is jazzed up for She & Him, with a little bit of other genres mixed in as well. Zooey Deschanel changes the lyrics so they fit gender. It seems M. Ward only sings on songs that are being covered, since he provides a lot of vocals here. The Beatle’s version is better, but this one is good enough too.

12. Sweet Darlin’ (2:41) – This song was written by Zooey Deschanel and actor Jason Schwartzman. It’s the catchiest track off the album, and one of my favorites. The lyrics seem to pop and the beats get faster as the song goes on.

13. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (1:37) – The shortest song on the album is also another cover. It’s slow, soft, and honestly makes me a little sleepy. It’s a traditional Negro spiritual song and was added to National Recording Registry in 2002. It’s just Zooey on this track, and the reasons behind why she chose to sing it are unknown. It’s one of the most covered songs in the history of the music industry, and Deschanel shortens it a little bit, but still leaves you filled.

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward really made a fantastic debut album for the ages, and it’s hard to believe that their music can be improved upon. It is, surprisingly, in their next album, aptly titled “Volume Two”, which I will be reviewing soon.

Four out of Five Stars