Indie pixie du jour Zooey Deschanel and acoustic tunesmith M. Ward combine to surprisingly pleasant effect on their second album, the intriguingly titled Volume 2. Deschanel’s voice alternates between country and sixties girl pop, but it’s the flashes of excellent songwriting that grab the attention here. However for every stomping sugary pop chorus like Don’t Look Back, there’s a forgettable retro meander in the manner of Lingering Still. It can undoubtedly stray towards the inoffensive, but that doesn’t stop it being largely enjoyable.
Words: Carl Cullinane
