She & Him In The Sun (Domino)
4/5
By: Stephen Maughan
The golden musical couple of American indie return with a teaser from their forthcoming album Volume Two, to be released on Easter Monday. For those of you who haven't been following She & Him, they are a rather delightful couple who roll out blissful Seventies melodies. Zooey Deschanel (She) writes all the songs, and M Ward (Him) is the producer. Zooey and M (if I be so bold to call him that) also happen to be two of the coolest people in America right now, with Zooey also a hipster of the underground film world, and M Ward one of the most original and talented musicians around at the moment. I noticed as I was peeping through my wife's Grazia magazine yesterday that even hip DJ "Lauren Laverne" is singing their praises. You may even be able to spot a touch of Kenickie here and there on a few fleeting moments on certain She & Him records.
What about the music? Well, 'In The Sun' is a poppy feel good track, the kind to blast out onto your garden flowers, hoping it will encourage them to grow and reach for the sun. “It's hard to be ignored, when I look at you, you look so bored my baby, my darling” Deschanel sings over a sugar sweet melody, which M Ward has enriched by adding some unexpected tweaks and effects. It's a bittersweet pop song that reminds you of early St. Etienne records, or if you are old enough those great pop records of the 1960's (The Archies, anyone?). Critics may wish for a more adventurous sound, or want a more meaningful chorus than “it's alright, it's ok!”, while others wish for a little more Him and less She, but let's put away our Bon Iver and Midlake albums. It's spring, the sun is shining, the snow has gone – let a little light into your life.
Artists in this article: She and Him
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