[life, interrupted]

I love She & Him. High expectations for "Volume Two" since I loved "Volume One". And let's be honest, who doesn't love Zooey Deschanel? So here's my song by song assessment.

(P.S. I got this on vinyl.)

Side A

1. Thieves-I've heard this song before because they have been touring with it on their set list. M. Ward's voice is more prominent. Not overly complicated, but that's kind of the way I like it. Makes me feel happier. Even though the topic is not very uplifting.

2. In the Sun-Also heard this before. I adore this track. It seems peppier than I remember though. I love the video as well. It just seems to define their sound so well.

3. Don't Look Back-Starts with toy-ish piano. Props for fitting "persephone" into the song. Good use of harmonies. Tambourine, always a plus. Vocals during bridge/chorus reminds me of orchestral horn.

4. Ridin' in my Car-M. Ward gets a verse! It's so perfect. Good use of altered chords. This track is not written by She or Him. Definitely has a Beach Boys feel, but I don't know their anthology so if I am right, props to me!

(Edit: It isn't.)

5. Lingering Still-Latin/Hawaiian feel, if that makes sense. Just listen to it. Simple piano solo. "The words are a science and I am a secret. I saw you lingering still." (or something like that.)

6. Me and You-"You gotta be kind to yourself." Followed by buhdabudums. Reminds me of "This is Not a Test." The guitar is very similar to "Volume One".

7. Gonna Get Along With You Now-Acoustic guitar sounds. "Uh-huh. Mmmhmm." This isn't written by She or Him either. Nice to listen to.

Side B

8. Home-Beginning like "I Can See Clearly Now". Except a little more modern. "It's a comfort to me." This album just feels right. Like home. But maybe it's because I'm listening to it at home.

9. I'm Gonna Make It Better-Starts kind of like "Heart and Soul". But then it twists.

10. Sing-She's watching "Cribs". "I'm just a childhood prisoner of the garden gate." Bass lead in to solo section. Violins too.

11. Over It Over Again-Interesting use of of call and response. Ish. I guess it's more of a call and call. But the way they split it up is interesting. Another guitar solo. Zooey does better in lower registers, but her voice suits the style.

12. Brand New Shoes-"I had some brand new shoes. They were all red, but they gave me the blues." This song definitely focuses on the lyrics. The instrumentation is very simple. Sounds like something I'd be able to play on guitar.

13. If You Can't Sleep-I got chills listening to the opening chords. Acapella. Ending this album in a fashion similar to "Volume One" with "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". "Goodbye shadows..."

Overall: I love this album, but it's nothing extremely cerebral. It's like "Volume One," except more polished. I liked all the songs. I even love a couple. Definitely will listen to it a lot over this Spring Break.

Teacher: "So Stephanie, what did you do over break?"

Me: "I listened to music, and it made me happy."