John's Track of the Week: She & Him's "Thieves"

Song: Thieves

Artist: She & Him

Album: Volume Two

Rating: 7.0

Everyone's favorite male-female folk duo are back in 2010. She & Him, aka Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (as if you needed such a clarification) will be releasing their second collaboration together, appropriately entitled Volume Two. Surely you all recall how successful Volume One went over, with its catchy mix of Deschanel originals and various lovelorn covers. And then there was Deschanel's 2009-- an extreme encroachment into the hipster universe if I've ever seen one. If starring in indie film (500) Days of Summer wasn't enough, she also contributed to the soundtrack, and married Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Quite a year for the young actress, to say the least.

The introduction to Volume Two is the swooning, elaborate "Thieves." A ballad lamenting over lost love, it brings in a conservative orchestra backing to really get the point across that this collaboration was supposed to take place about 30-40 years ago. The wishy-washy, boy-meets-girl vibe that Deschanel and Ward have managed to keep up is atypical of today's scene, becoming a welcome break from less-straightforward explorations into pop and rock conventions. You'll want to welcome them back into your life with this track. And be sure to pick up She & Him's Volume Two, out March 23 via Merge.

"Thieves" -- She & Him (via Pitchfork)

[Previously on Animal Noises: New She & Him Not-Quite-Video, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"]