She and HIm avoids sophomore slump with "Volume Two"
Best Track: "In The Sun" 5 out of 5
We've all heard of the dreaded sophomore slump, that second effort that doesn╒t quite live up to the excellence of the debut. Whether it╒s a rush to satiate the thirsty fans or the inability to break out of the original╒s mold, it╒s disappointing to see something that once was good become bad. Fortunately, She& Him╒s Volume Two is closer to the "Empire Strikes Back" than the ╥Lost World.╙ It╒s pretty damn good. If Volume Two has an overarching theme, it╒s definitely cohesion. Volume One, while outstanding, felt like a random assortment of songs. Each had it╒s own style, coming off more as a ╥greatest hits╙ than a debut. That may due to the way the songs were made: handpicked out of lead singer Zooey Deschanel╒s personal archive of material she╒d been writing since she was a child. , Volume Two flows nicely from one track to the next, possibly to the point of being detrimental as it╒s difficult to distinguish songs from each other. But what some could consider a detriment may just be a testament to how excellent the whole of the album really is. Sure, no one track stands above the rest, but when the songs are universally this high of quality, finding the ╥single╙ isn╒t that big of a deal. Volume Two retains all the folk-y charm of the original. Deschanel╒s lyrics and voice are still timeless and endearing. M. Ward╒s instrumentals are still understated and pleasing. But the album manages to evolve and become it╒s own thing, exactly what is expected of an excellent sophomore showing. ╨ chase koeneke, senior staff writer