Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
    • Advertise
October 11, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

She & Him: Classics

shehimclassicsShe & Him

Classics

Columbia

I must be softening in my old age – I’ve found a She & Him album I don’t hate. Classics refers to the covers chosen, it’s not a compilation of this duo’s “best” moments, though it ends up (for me) being very much a Best of She & Him, the duo playing to their strengths within their so-cute-it’s-obnoxious artisanal-music hipster-backwash. (Can’t you tell I’m just gushing with praise here…)

But this is a giant step up, for the duo and for me – in admitting I found/took some warmth in this set of sounds, you see I loathed Volume 3 and I hadn’t at all been pleased with the band’s previous volumes. Something keeps luring me back…I even owned the Christmas album for a short time. That something, most obviously, is M. Ward. Between She & Him records he continues to knock it out of the park on his own, and he was always the reason I was interested in this duo. Zooey Deschanel, as poster-child for quirky-hipster bait, has never been the lure.

But here the song choice is on point, perennials for millennials (hey, that could have been the name/sub-title – shit, now I’m giving them ideas for further volumes!) And what really sells it I think is the involvement of the orchestra, so we’re not getting enveloped by Ms Zooey and her ukulele. Instead it’s (far more) about the song than has previously been the case.

I can’t summon the love for this that you’ll read elsewhere, but I took something from Zooey and M’s versions of We’ll Meet Again and She and Unchained Melody and This Girl’s In Love With You – and these are all songs that never need covering ever again, so to step up means you have to have some new way, and some level of respect, there has to be some effort, some reason.

I think that’s the other thing I find here – more effort than previously has been the case. It’s not all bundled up as some elegant toss-off; again that’ll be the involvement of the orchestra. You get the suits and evening dresses in on the payroll and you (have to) mean business.

I liked this far more than I expected. I don’t mind having it around. Previously I’ve wanted to punch cocks, er, willy-nilly, just for She & Him records existing. It appears, right up until that last sentence anyway, I might actually be growing up.

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with Album Review, Classics, Covers, M. Ward, Orchestra, She & Him, She and Him, Standards, Zooey Deschanel. RSS 2.0 feed.
« The Vinyl Countdown # 810
Playlist: Late Night Soul, Jazz & Pop »

Popular

  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Sweetman Podcast # 247: Talia Marshall
  • John Patitucci / Vinnie Colaiuta / Bill Cunliffe: TRIO
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Poem: “It Was Like Watching Myself Die”
  • Substack: “Sounds Good!”
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)
  • R.I.P. Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Jon Mcleary Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spines Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Ghost of Electricity The Spines The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2021 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press