• Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: May 7, 2013
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 35
  2. Negative: 3 out of 35
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  1. May 10, 2013
    6
    This honestly exceeded my expectations, thanks in part to M. Ward. He has really gotten the catchy folk-pop rhythms down. And Zooey has started to understand her singing limits, which makes for a way more pleasant songs than from their previous albums. Would listen to this album 2 or 3 times, tops.
  2. May 19, 2013
    5
    Volume 3 marks the third album from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. I haven’t heard their previous work so this is all new to me, whilst being aware of this project for some time now, I just stuck to watching Zooey act. From the start the album hits you with this Brian Wilson produced sound mixed in with country for good measure. Whilst it starts of all very nice and well with “I’ve Got YourVolume 3 marks the third album from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. I haven’t heard their previous work so this is all new to me, whilst being aware of this project for some time now, I just stuck to watching Zooey act. From the start the album hits you with this Brian Wilson produced sound mixed in with country for good measure. Whilst it starts of all very nice and well with “I’ve Got Your Number Son”, the album loses itself in its washes of reverb. It becomes background music.

    The album doesn’t really hit its stride until cover “Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me”. Sure the album has its nice pockets of secret sugar in the form of stripped back ukulele “Turn To White” but “Hold Me…” and onwards lose the sort of overly sweet vibes that the album has had so far. It grounds itself in the easy listening, enjoyable sound of sunshine that was 1960′s style pop music. ”Snow Queen” follows and is equally as good, but stand-out track is Blondie cover, “Sunday Girl”. I feel it puts a nice refreshing spin on the Blondie classic and She & Him make it theirs on this album, but without destroying it.

    “London” is slow and gorgeous. You can make fun of Zooey’s singing if you like, but I have heard much worse, and London shows that she can sing. It’s calming and I wish the album ended here, it feels like it should, or if not, then it should jump back full of energy, and it does neither. The last two songs don’t really do much, there is no need for them to be there. The last song “Reprise…” is nice, it may have worked better as an intro to the album but I feel we could do without “Shadow of Love”.

    Overall the album feels weak. It definitely has a good 60′s vibe to it, but I’m not sure how I feel about the Country sound being mixed in. Apart from a couple of good tracks it just blends into a palatable background music, but at least it’s listenable. And if you want a good 60′s vibes album, go check out Cults’ eponymous debut from 2011.
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  3. Jul 10, 2013
    5
    As a fan of their first two original albums I was slightly disappointed. I do not hate the album and I even like some of the songs listening to them from time to time. The highlight of the album to me is ("Turn To White"). As a complete album though I find it very dull and more of the same but in a lazy way. Upon my first complete listen to it I was waiting for it to get on it's feetAs a fan of their first two original albums I was slightly disappointed. I do not hate the album and I even like some of the songs listening to them from time to time. The highlight of the album to me is ("Turn To White"). As a complete album though I find it very dull and more of the same but in a lazy way. Upon my first complete listen to it I was waiting for it to get on it's feet hoping it just had a sluggish start once "Turn To White" played that was my glimmer of hope that it would get better but it never got it's groove for me. I have listened to the whole thing a couple of times and my mind has not changed. Volume 1 is by far their best album and Volume 2 has great moments so it kept the entire album afloat but this just didn't do it for me as an album. Maybe the disappointment also comes from waiting years for a new album from them (didn't really care about a christmas cover album) .Love Zooey and I'm still a fan but I hope the duo can deliver something more elevated in their next album. Collapse
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 29
  2. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. Mojo
    Jun 18, 2013
    60
    It still feels a bit hammy. [Jul 2013, p.96]
  2. May 28, 2013
    70
    The third chapter in She & Him’s discography won’t convert those who dislike the genre and it won’t alienate fans of it either.
  3. May 22, 2013
    74
    3 shows a slightly darker side of the squeaky-clean She.