☭ marselip0910 叶俊华™

（團員包括Zooey Deschanel與M. Ward）
Zooey Deschanel所屬樂團She & Him的最新專輯「Volume Two」
在NPR網站上已經可以全曲試聽！



專輯「Volume Two」將在3/17率先在日本發行

She & Him - In The Sun from Merge Records on Vimeo.

1. Thieves
2. In the Sun
3. Don't Look Back
4. Ridin' in My Car
5. Lingering Still
6. Me and You
7. Gonna Get Along Without You Now
8. Home
9. I'm Gonna Make It Better
10. Sing
11. Over It Over Again
12. Brand New Shoes
13. If You Can't Sleep


Being half of She & Him allows Zooey Deschanel to do what she does best as a film star: act utterly adorable alongside a quiet, talented male character. Her co-star in this case is M. Ward, who produces the band's second album and frames Deschanel's voice with a Spector-sized pile of instruments. Whether they're copping the Brill Building sound or tackling `70s beach-pop, the two always have nostalgia on the mind. These 13 tracks seem to hail from an imaginary, sepia-toned world in which Richard Carpenter is king and Ron Burgundy is on the tube, and even a handful of contemporary references ("Talking on the phone and watching Cribs/He doesn't know what kind of guy he is") do little to transport the listener back to the 21st century. Like the previous album, Volume 2 might suffer under the weight of its own pastiche if it weren't so darn endearing, filled as it is with call-and-response vocals, studio reverb, sweeping orchestrations, and other bygone tricks of the trade. Deschanel is still finding her footing as a vocalist, but she smartly plays to her strengths, with a hint of vibrato coloring her best performances. "Love like ours is terrible news, but that won't stop me crying over you," she sings at the end of "Thieves," her voice fading out into M. Ward's sweeping Wall of Sound. This has all been done before, perhaps, but that's the whole point, and Volume 2 ends up being a tuneful tribute to the group's influences. ~ Andrew Leahey

她和他樂團She & Him《好事成雙Volume 2》
47141 276609 67

◎ 【戀夏500日】、【沒問題先生】正妹主角柔伊黛絲香奈Zooey Deschanel與搖滾鬼才M. Ward，聯手打造第二張音樂結晶
◎ 嬌俏美貌與傲人才情一次奉上，讓搖滾青年魂牽夢縈的超豐盛精神糧食
◎ musicOMH四顆半星景仰崇拜；Filter 86%高分讚譽；Entertainment Weekly、Alternative Press、All Music Guide一致★★★★ 以上等級推薦

musicOMH.com：「結集眾多傑出歌曲，值得任何難搞樂迷仔細聆聽！」
The Onion：「帶來預期中的甜美，但明顯超越前作！」
Filter：「他們帶著極了不起的成果回來了！」
Alternative Press：「承續上張專輯迷人的成就，女主唱甜美的吟唱與迷人的旋律相得益彰！」
告示牌雜誌：「今夏最受矚目的樂團之一！」

貴為好萊塢新生代當紅女星，擁有嬌俏的美貌與身段，以及無數影迷的歡呼崇拜，是否還有什麼更值得妳去追逐實踐？有的，「柔伊黛絲香奈Zooey Deschanel」選擇與樂壇鬼才M. Ward共組一支雙人樂隊，發行她壓箱多年的優質創作。許多人因為【成名在望Almost Famous】這部電影，初識柔伊黛絲香奈，後來她陸續在【沒問題先生Yes Man】與【戀夏500日500 Days of Summer】等片出任女主角，以清新自然的演出迷倒一大票男性影迷。因為【The Go-Getter】導演的撮合，柔伊與獨立樂壇鬼才M. Ward有了音樂上的第一類接觸，M. Ward進而得知，柔伊私下擁有一定數量的音樂創作。仔細聽過試唱帶後，他發現這些作品的質量，早已遠遠超過許多專業歌手的水準。相談甚歡的兩人，決定進行更進一步的合作，柔伊除了填詞譜曲與主唱，還下場彈奏鋼琴等樂器，至於在獨立樂壇已享有盛名的M. Ward，則發揮出神入化的吉他演奏功力與監製長才。柔伊不希望己身的明星光環，模糊了兩人的發片焦點，因此特別在「謙遜、低調、匿名」的原則下，為樂隊取了「她和他樂團She & Him」這個團名。2008年他們發表首張專輯《Volume One》，首週即空降全美告示牌排行榜第81名，並在Paste Magazine該年的年終票選活動中，奪下「年度最佳專輯#1」頭銜。突然之間，大家才驚覺，柔伊過去所懷抱的音樂夢想，在身體力行之後，原來是這樣一片花團錦簇的傲人景象。

有了首張專輯亮眼的成績，She & Him在大家的期待之下，帶來第二張創作大碟《好事成雙Volume Two》，這次柔伊愈見成熟自信，兩人在和聲的運用上已臻完美，柔美雅緻的絃樂亦更見份量。本次照例依循上次的合作模式，除了兩首翻唱歌曲外，其餘創作全數出自柔伊的手筆，並交由M. Ward全權監製。本張專輯分別在洛衫磯與俄勒岡州波特蘭兩地錄音，期間邀請多位音樂人共襄盛舉，除了有M. Ward親自下場伴唱，歌手Mike Coykendall也在多首曲目中幫腔獻聲。優美爽朗的和音在本張專輯中，扮演十分重要的角色，藉此他們得以營造出昔日經典流行歌曲的層次感，以首支主打單曲〈In The Sun〉為例，特別邀請獨立流行組合Tilly and the Wall前來唱合，讓整首歌曲洋溢一片復古歡樂的特殊情調。多部合唱的清唱歌曲〈If You Can't Sleep〉，則美得像首聖歌，完全突顯柔伊純淨沉穩的嗓音，更證明她不受拘束的創作實力。本張專輯中，柔伊還特別翻唱NRBQ 1977年的單曲〈Ridin' In My Car〉，以及由Skeeter Davis唱紅的〈Gonna Get Along Without You Now〉，揭露她與眾不同的懷舊品味。

聆聽《Volume Two》，彷如享受一段沒有尾聲的春天，即使偶爾落下毛毛細雨，抬起頭來就能看見陽光下的那道彩虹，當然也少不了柔伊那抹迷人的微笑。

It's hard to be ambivalent about Zooey Deschanel. She's a polarizing personality, one whose deadpan movie roles and big Bambi eyes are either charming or too cute for their own good. The same can be said for She & Him, a soft rock duo that features Deschanel doing what she does best as a film star: acting utterly adorable alongside a quiet, talented male character. Her co-star in this case is M. Ward, who produces the band's second album and frames Deschanel's voice with a Spector-sized pile of instruments. Those who already take issue with Zooey's acting will almost surely pick this record apart -- it's too reminiscent of her cutesy turns in movies like (500) Days of Summer to change many minds -- but for fans of retro pop (and Deschanel in general), Volume 2 is a gem.

Whether they're copping the Brill Building sound or resurrecting `70s beach-pop, She & Him always seem to have nostalgia on the mind. These 13 tracks hail from an imaginary, sepia-toned world in which Richard Carpenter is king and Ron Burgundy is on the tube, and even a handful of contemporary references ("Talking on the phone and watching Cribs/He doesn't know what kind of guy he is") does little to transport the listener back to the 21st century. Like the previous album, Volume 2 would suffer under the weight of its own pastiche if it weren't so darn endearing, filled as it is with call-and-response vocals, studio reverb, sweeping orchestrations, and other bygone tricks of the trade. Deschanel still has some flaws as a vocalist -- her twang sometimes gets the best of her, pushing parts of the melody flat -- but she smartly plays to her strengths, with a hint of vibrato and a sly, audible smile coloring her best performances. "Love like ours is terrible news, but that won't stop me crying over you," she sings at the end of "Thieves," her voice fading out into M. Ward's sweeping Wall of Sound. This has all been done before, perhaps, but that's the whole point, and Volume 2 ends up being a breezy tribute to the group's influences. ~ Andrew Leahey

Recording information: ARC Studios, Omaha, NE; Blue Rooms, Portland, OR; Jackpot!, Portland, OR; The Village, Los Angeles, CA.

Personnel: M. Ward (guitar, mandolin, synthesizer); Peter Broderick, Tom Hagerman, Amanda Lawrence (strings); Zooey Deschanel (piano); Mike Mogis (synthesizer, percussion); Scott McPherson (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Mike Mogis.

Spin (p.82) - "Deschanel is a convincing soft-rock goddess, conjuring Linda Ronstadt on the country shuffle 'Thieves' and Skeeter Davis on a cover of 'Gonna Get Along Without You.'"



She And Him - Volume One



專輯名稱：Volume One
歌手姓名：She And Him
唱片公司：Merge Records
發行日期：2008.03.18
風格類型：Indie/Pop
視聽主頁：http://www.myspace.com/sheandhim

專輯曲目：

1. Sentimental Heart 2:36
2. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? 2:30


3. This Is Not A Test 3:30
4. Change Is Hard 3:03
5. I Thought I Saw Your Face Today 2:50
6. Take It Back 2:37
7. I Was Made For You 2:30
8. You Really Gotta Hold On Me 3:59
9. Black Hole 2:12
10.Got Me 2:45
11.I Should Have Known Better 3:38
12.Sweet Darlin' 2:40
13.Untitled 1:37

她，女演員Zooey Deschanel，曾於電影成名在望（Almost Famous）飾演男主角的姊姊。他，男唱作人M. Ward，多才多藝，彈得一手好吉他。

電影The Go-Getter導演介紹兩人認識，他才發現，她不僅熱愛唱歌，甚至偷偷創作一些曲子。眼看是塊璞玉，他下海替她擔任製作人，兩人化名為She & Him，推出首張專輯Volume One。（是的，未來還會有Volume Two）

他負責編曲、吹口哨、合音，隱身幕後，將舞臺全留給她。她的歌喉稱不上頂尖，高音域有些刺耳，但厚實的中低音域頗有早期美式民謠女歌手的風範。第九曲Black Hole副歌的「呼啦啦啦」更是此類古樸專輯的必備元素。（滑弦吉他當然更不可少）

一首披頭四翻唱曲I Should Have Known Better也頗不俗。只是誰能告訴我，這兩人究竟是不是一對情侶？

（原文載於《破報》復刊529期）

She and Him, Ola Podrida @ Webster Hall
April 23, 2008





電影「戀夏500日」、「Yes Man沒問題先生」女主角個人專輯
電影才女與音樂才子的感性復古饗宴。勾人魂魄的美好吉他和絃+深刻惆悵的悠揚嗓音，在低抑舒緩的情緒中，如傾盆雨落地洗滌了聽者的心靈

她和他，電影與音樂，才女與才子，復古與前衛，醇厚與沁透。「 She & Him」正是一個充滿如是對比／類比／互喻的奇妙團體，由知名新生代女星 ZooeyDeschanel 和感性掛帥的音樂才子 M. Ward 攜手組成，令人驚訝的組合不但話題十足，併出的火花更是讓人出乎意料地擊節讚賞。

1980 年次的 Zooey Deschanel 演過《成名在望》、《賴家王老五》、《刺殺傑西》等主流好萊塢大片以及無數獨立佳片，堪稱獨立電影界的小天后，同時也擊敗 Pink、Britney Spears 等眾多年輕女歌手，確定擔綱演出六○年代搖滾天后Janis Joplin 的傳記電影《 Gospel According to Janis 》（即將於 2010 年上映）；她之所以能獲得這個絕佳機會，最主要的原因便是由於一副令人讚嘆的好歌喉、對爵士與藍調老搖滾的熱愛，使她醇厚動人的嗓音，能彌補外表與 Janis Joplin 之間的差異，而她也將親自演唱電影中所有的歌曲。

Zooey 與 M. Ward 因某次為一部電影錄製原聲帶歌曲而結緣，從小便醉心音樂、一心成為歌手的 Zooey，對 M. Ward 透露自己也不斷在創作歌曲，M. Ward一聽 demo 之下大為感動，兩人一拍即合，隨後立刻開始進行這張《 Volume One 》的製作。以爵士名伶 Ella Fitzgerald 為偶像的 Zooey，和 M. Ward 決定，以此張專輯向他們熱愛的七、八○年代復古流行風致敬；Zooey 豐厚而高亢的唱腔，搭配 M. Ward 彷如信手拈來卻又渾然天成的美好襯樂、與行雲流水的編曲，紅花綠葉，相得益彰，絕對是一次令人難忘的夢幻合作。

專輯一開始的 "Sentimental Heart"，便令人驚豔萬萬分：如此氣韻十足、情感沛然莫之能禦的嗓音，真的是出自 Zooey 那嬌纖身軀與甜美笑容嗎？" Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" 有著甜美的 pop 風格，M. Ward 率性的吉他、鋼琴，譜出極為明亮的色彩；接下來的 "This Is Not a Test" 則在同樣鮮明有力的節奏中，以轉圜自如的悠揚嗓音，為整首歌注入活潑的生命，極易讓聽者為之精神一振、產生共鳴。"Change is Hard" 則轉為悠緩的爵士風味，似乎看得到Zooey 穿著紅色天鵝絨長袍，在燈光昏黃的小酒館中沈醉吟唱的模樣；M. Ward 那慵懶甜美中、帶點淡淡憂愁的吉他更是令人動容。溫柔婉約的 "IThought I Saw Your Face Today" 是首極易打入人心的愛情告白，接下來的 "Take it Back" 又是 Zooey 展現高亢歌喉的絕佳良機，顫抖如淚珠滴落的小提琴，襯著她展現深刻惆悵的悠揚嗓音，如傾盆雨落、雷聲震耳地洗滌了聽者的心靈。

"I Was Made For You" 則是一派八○年代勁歌金曲的華麗泡泡糖色調，Zooey的表現絕不遜於任何一名當紅偶像女歌手，讓人充滿青春復古、想聞之起舞的歡樂情緒。"You Really Got a Hold On Me" 則在低抑舒緩的情緒中，醞釀著對愛情無限熱切的渴求；"Black Hole" 則在詼諧而略帶嘲諷的輕鬆氛圍中，帶出一股灑脫的情調。"Got Me" 也是一派小酒館演唱的醇厚情調，M. Ward 層次繽紛卻仍顯清澈的音樂更顯美好。"I Should Have Known Better" 同樣以勾人魂魄的美好吉他和絃展開，充滿著成熟女子對愛情彷彿玩弄於鼓掌之間、實則又對愛情的變幻無常略顯無奈的複雜情緒，M. Ward 也在歌曲中獻唱了和聲，更添整首歌曲美麗、悠揚的無窮成熟韻味。"Sweet Darlin’" 力道十足的音樂，帶出甜美濃醇的七○年代流行色彩，充滿復古與活力。最後一首短短的 "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" 則以 demo 音質展現出 Zooey 清唱的魅力，讓人緊密貼近她的吐息，至此，對這位美麗女星的演唱才華，可說是徹底折服了。

其實，除了驚訝於擁有天使面孔的 Zooey Deschanel 能有這番魔鬼的嗓音之外，也別忘記：她更是一手包辦了所有的詞曲創作；也難怪 M. Ward 聽過她在自家寢室彈著鋼琴錄下的 demo 後，便立刻決定與她合作這張充滿復古情調、讓人沈醉在溫馨的小酒館風情中的美麗專輯，一個讓人放下所有緊張與戒心、徹底感受音樂熱力的美好所在。