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A couple nights ago, I dreamed that Lady Gaga died. Then, last night, I dreamed that it was all just a huge publicity stunt. The weirdest part isn't that I was dreaming about Gaga but that I could totally imagine her doing something like that in real life. Haha. Also weird is that I actually remembered because usually my dreams begin to fade shortly after I wake up until I can only remember the vaguest bits and pieces of them.
Anyway, I really wanted to talk about the new She & Him album here. I like to blabber on randomly about music I like here first because it makes it easier to write proper, better-articulated reviews for my music blog. So... I think the album is completely amazing. And I think I may have actually decided that it's better than Volume One which is something I didn't think I would be able to say. I adore that album so much that it's probably one of the few albums from a couple years ago that I still play regularly. Based on "In the Sun," which is cute and catchy but a little low on substance, I wasn't sure Volume Two would live up to that. But it totally does! I feel like Zooey's voice is much more confident and versatile on this record and her melodies are also more varied and less predictable - for example, I don't think she could have written a song like "Home" a few years ago because it's got so many interesting twists in melody. The only thing I feel is slightly downgraded here are the lyrics though they weren't exactly the strongest part of Volume One either so it's not really a problem for me. Overall, though, the album's got a much fuller and more self-assured sound to it. Volume One will always hold a special place in my heart but I can most definitely make room for Two as well.
As far as specific songs go... I love pretty much all of them. "Thieves" and "Lingering Still" I already knew were amazing from live performances and they transfer flawlessly to the studio, benefiting from an added layer of backing vocals from Zooey that aren't possible live. By the way, I think her real genius is in creating background vocal melodies and arrangements because typically I don't pay attention to them so much but hers are always so interesting and just as vital to the song as the main vocal line. "Don't Look Back" and "Over It Over Again" are two of my very favorites for this exact reason. Also, they're so much fun, like in "Don't Look Back" when her voice goes really low and then Matt kicks in with this surfer-esque guitar before the chorus and the adorable, shouted vocals in "Over It Over Again" which is just an adorable, terribly infectious song in general (just the opening piano melody and the way Zooey delivers the first line, "Why do I always wanna sock it to you hard?" already put a huge smile on my face). At this very moment, though, I'm all about "Ridin' in My Car". I'm generally kind of indifferent to covers, particularly when they're put on a proper full-length album, because I'd almost always rather hear another original song instead. That's how I felt about the covers on One; I do like them quite a bit but, if pressed, I would have to admit they're the weakest link for me. But both covers here are completely brilliant and perfectly Zooey-fied. I can't get over how fucking amazing she sounds on "Ridin' in My Car" - as much as I don't have a problem (as many people seem to) with Zooey's cutesy, more affected vocals, I love this song mostly because it's completely devoid of them; she just sounds so clear and effortless and flawless and perfect. Her backing vocals during Matt's verses make me melt they're so lovely. I enjoy the slower, more sparse songs - "Me and You," "Brand New Shoes" - for similar reasons. The instrumentation is pulled back and her vocals just shine and sound so natural and pure and full of emotion in a really subtle way. Also, the closer, "If You Can't Sleep," is just Zooey singing the lyrics over layers of her wordless harmonizing and is basically divine. I really love "Sing" too even though the line about watching Cribs is kind of cringe-worthy; it's just got a really gorgeous, understated yet memorable quality to it. Basically, yes, the whole thing is great. Even the bonus tracks are great! The iTunes bonus, "I Knew It Would Happen That Way," is a perfect two minutes of beautiful, melancholy vintage pop and the b-side to "In the Sun," a cover of "I Can Hear Music," is so sunny and joyous and lovely. Everything is lovely lovely lovely. I have such a girl crush on Zooey is basically what all of this rambling amounts to.
Anyway, I really wanted to talk about the new She & Him album here. I like to blabber on randomly about music I like here first because it makes it easier to write proper, better-articulated reviews for my music blog. So... I think the album is completely amazing. And I think I may have actually decided that it's better than Volume One which is something I didn't think I would be able to say. I adore that album so much that it's probably one of the few albums from a couple years ago that I still play regularly. Based on "In the Sun," which is cute and catchy but a little low on substance, I wasn't sure Volume Two would live up to that. But it totally does! I feel like Zooey's voice is much more confident and versatile on this record and her melodies are also more varied and less predictable - for example, I don't think she could have written a song like "Home" a few years ago because it's got so many interesting twists in melody. The only thing I feel is slightly downgraded here are the lyrics though they weren't exactly the strongest part of Volume One either so it's not really a problem for me. Overall, though, the album's got a much fuller and more self-assured sound to it. Volume One will always hold a special place in my heart but I can most definitely make room for Two as well.
As far as specific songs go... I love pretty much all of them. "Thieves" and "Lingering Still" I already knew were amazing from live performances and they transfer flawlessly to the studio, benefiting from an added layer of backing vocals from Zooey that aren't possible live. By the way, I think her real genius is in creating background vocal melodies and arrangements because typically I don't pay attention to them so much but hers are always so interesting and just as vital to the song as the main vocal line. "Don't Look Back" and "Over It Over Again" are two of my very favorites for this exact reason. Also, they're so much fun, like in "Don't Look Back" when her voice goes really low and then Matt kicks in with this surfer-esque guitar before the chorus and the adorable, shouted vocals in "Over It Over Again" which is just an adorable, terribly infectious song in general (just the opening piano melody and the way Zooey delivers the first line, "Why do I always wanna sock it to you hard?" already put a huge smile on my face). At this very moment, though, I'm all about "Ridin' in My Car". I'm generally kind of indifferent to covers, particularly when they're put on a proper full-length album, because I'd almost always rather hear another original song instead. That's how I felt about the covers on One; I do like them quite a bit but, if pressed, I would have to admit they're the weakest link for me. But both covers here are completely brilliant and perfectly Zooey-fied. I can't get over how fucking amazing she sounds on "Ridin' in My Car" - as much as I don't have a problem (as many people seem to) with Zooey's cutesy, more affected vocals, I love this song mostly because it's completely devoid of them; she just sounds so clear and effortless and flawless and perfect. Her backing vocals during Matt's verses make me melt they're so lovely. I enjoy the slower, more sparse songs - "Me and You," "Brand New Shoes" - for similar reasons. The instrumentation is pulled back and her vocals just shine and sound so natural and pure and full of emotion in a really subtle way. Also, the closer, "If You Can't Sleep," is just Zooey singing the lyrics over layers of her wordless harmonizing and is basically divine. I really love "Sing" too even though the line about watching Cribs is kind of cringe-worthy; it's just got a really gorgeous, understated yet memorable quality to it. Basically, yes, the whole thing is great. Even the bonus tracks are great! The iTunes bonus, "I Knew It Would Happen That Way," is a perfect two minutes of beautiful, melancholy vintage pop and the b-side to "In the Sun," a cover of "I Can Hear Music," is so sunny and joyous and lovely. Everything is lovely lovely lovely. I have such a girl crush on Zooey is basically what all of this rambling amounts to.
