Introduction & She & Him

First of all, thanks to Don for inviting me to participate in this blog. I've already checked out El Ten Eleven, hopefully I can contribute something. Before I get started with a music review, does anybody dig the original "Rollerball" movie? I did and do - it's just been on my mind lately. Here's a small review of a band that you've probably already heard way too much about - I'm sure they've been referred to as the "darlings of indie rock" at least a zillion times, but I'm posting it anyway since I listen to it a lot.

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She & Him Volume One

I've been listening to more bands with female vocalists in the past year.
One album that has been in constant rotation on my iPud is "She & Him Volume One". Often I will wake up with a snippet of a band's song lyrics repeating in my head, if the repetition is not driving me nuts, I take this as a good sign, this is one of those albums.

Zooey's sings with an almost lackadaisical voice. At the very beginning of the Beatle's cover, she even sounds out of tune (to my untrained ear). Every time I hear those first 2 seconds of her voice, I wonder if she'll be able to bring that note back, and like magic, she does every time.

I believe that all of these songs are covers, they range from 50's love ballads to spiritual hymns (Swing Low). Some of the songs I recognize from my childhood - the car radio or my parent's albums. It sounds cliche to say the duo "breathe new life" into the songs, but I just find every song so addicting. The slacker way that she sings and M. Ward's small instrument arrangement is just enough to get you hooked, but just under the level of causing the listener to get sick of the tune, which could easily have happened given that these are primarily love songs.

I usually listen the album in its entirety without skipping a single track, but my personal favs are: Black Hole, This Is Not a Test, I Thought I Saw Your Face Today, Sweet Darling.

She & Him