Hello everyone and welcome back to another Lydia’s Girls Blog post! I am very excited about this week’s New Girl because it is Zooey Deschanel in She & Him. I actually had to look back on my albums to make sure she wasn’t already a Lydia’s Girl because I feel like she is already one. But I found that she was not on the list and it worked out perfectly for her to be a New Girl because she stars in the TV Series. You may be wondering “Um, Lydia. There is a Him in She & Him.” Yes I know, but my dad put The Carpenters on Lydia’s Girls and Richard Carpenter was a part of that duo. This is also my blog so I can do whatever I want. :)
I first heard of She & Him after I watched 500 Days of Summer. I went on a Zooey Deschanel rabbit hole and found her music videos on Youtube, which is where I discovered She & Him. As I said before Zooey Deschanel is one half of the band and M. Ward (Matt Ward) is the other. I am a fan of M. Ward’s solo music and didn’t realize that it was him in the band with Zooey. Matt and Zooey met on the movie set The Go-Getter, which Zooey starred in. The director wanted a duet at the end of the film and credits, so he asked Zooey and Matt if they could sing When I Get To The Border, by Richard and Linda Thompson. The two instantly bonded over common music interests and started writing together. Zooey said that she always wrote lyrics but didn’t know how to transform them into a song until Matt came along. They have a mixture of styles such as country, alternative/indie, pop, and rock. Together the two have made six albums that include: Volume One (2008), Volume Two (2010), A Very She & Him Christmas (2011), Volume 3 (2013), Classics (2014), and Christmas Party (2016). I HIGHLY recommend their Christmas albums if you have not listened to them. I am very picky about who is singing Christmas songs and I can say without a doubt that they are all amazing.
I have decided to share a song from their first album called Sweet Darlin’. I love this song because the lyrics are so simple but with the amazing instrumentation I think it gives power to the song. The intro starts off with a fiddle solo and in the background you can hear the drums and guitar. I think Zooey has one of the best voices in the world and when she starts singing, not only do you have her singing the main melody but she also sings the two part harmony in the background. Zooey has such a classic voice, like one that you would hear in an old movie. When you add that to the classic country/early rock music the song sounds so beautiful. Going into the chorus you can hear Matt on the steel guitar that fits into the song perfectly. In the chorus I love the lyrics: “Sweet Darlin’, come hold me. Just a little bit longer now.” It’s so simple but the harmony and backup vocals take the song to another level. Throughout the song when the chorus is repeated Matt does a great job of keeping the song moving with the drums and guitar.
Overall, I think She & Him is an amazing band. I really hope you decide to check out their music because I think they have something for everyone to enjoy.
Author: Lydia MacDavid
Chief Editor: Jacob Tomeny