This time around, the pair give us a bigger, fuller sound. It's much more rounded out. There is still a delicate, cutesy quality to the songs, but their are far less precious than they have tended to be in the past (for instance, the adorable "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me")..
A swirling flourish makes "Never Wanted Your Love" a greatly textured track. Horns add a bit of a punch to the breezy groove of "Together". The record's standout, "Somebody Sweet To Talk To", is a catchy tune with a wafting '70s singer/songwriter vibe to it.
The album kicks-off with "I've Got Your Number, Son", one of the perkiest and most up-tempo cuts in the She & Him catalogue. Ward also makes far fewer vocal contributions this time out, appearing in a meaningful manner on only "Baby".
The single "I Could've Been Your Girl" demonstrates the duality of She & Him's music. The delivery is peppy and sunny, but the lyrics show a stinging bite. The track is revisited in an elegant orchestral way for the closer "Reprise (I Could've Been Your Girl)".
Deschanel and Ward do whiff on a couple of occasions. Tracks like "London" and "Turn To White" are too minimalist to hold your interest in light of the weakness of the songwriting. "Something's Haunting You" is a typical She & Him number, which in the context of the beefier sound of Volume 3, is a touch disappointing.
Every She & Him record includes a cover, and this one is no exception. Here it's a fairly faithful version of Blondie's "Sunday Girl". The similarities between Deschanel's vocals and Debbie Harry's are striking.
She & Him play the Toronto Urban Roots Festival at Fort York on July 4th.
Best tracks: "Somebody Sweet To Talk To", "Together"
Track listing for Volume 3:
- I've Got Your Number, Son
- Never Wanted Your Love
- Baby
- I Could've Been Your Girl
- Turn To White
- Somebody Sweet To Talk To
- Something's Haunting You
- Together
- Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
- Snow Queen
- Sunday Girl
- London
- Shadow Of Love
- Reprise (I Could've Been Your Girl)
7.5/10
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