So, Merge released the “Vol.1″ of the She & Him opus this week.
You know, that record that has been incessantly leaked, all over the interwebs for months and is put out by one terrific musician (M.Ward) and one delightful actress (Zooey Deschanel)
It is the small record with all the buzz in the world.
Buzzier than a swarm of buzz bees, this record.
And while I was afraid I was going to suffer my own backlash on this one, it really is a delight.
I got it on Tuesday.
I listened to it on the way to the metro and on the metro Wednesday morning, and Wednesday night.
I also already programmed “Why do you let me stay here” and “Should have known better” on my on-the-go playlists and that is only the beginning, I’m afraid.
But I know you’re all skeptical so, lets look (objectively) at WHY the record is a delight.
First off (and this could have been a downfall to some), its really more of a Zooey than a Matt record.
She sings on 90% of tracks (two duets aside), and is doing most of the (knowingly naive) lyric writing.
He stays on the side, sparsely arranging around her crisp and crackling voice, which 100% evocative of Zooey you see in movies, as well as Loretta Lynn or Linda Thompson at times.
There is nothing extra on here.
It is old fashioned pop-folkiness all around, with chiming girl vocals, some delightful whistling sprinkled throughout, straightforward choruses, and lyrics that “she” is singing to “him”.
These are stories of riding tandem bicycles alone, sitting on shelves waiting for him, getting thrilled when you see him smiling in the street, not being help yourself and change being hard. They all fit nicely into a mold, there are no adventurous instrumentations, no baroque undertones, no none of that.
Old school.
What songs used to be like.
I mean there is a song cold “Sweet Darlin’”
And even their cover choices (”You’ve really got a hold on me” and “Should Have Known Better” (Beatles!) are treated in ways that sound almost more like originals that originals themselves)
So, suspend your jaded self, and let yourself just listen.
They play it as it lays.
For a change.
