She & Him - Volume 2

(Double Six)

Brimming with classic 60s girl-pop and California country-rock, the second instalment from improbable couple She (indie film icon Zooey Deschanel) & Him (alt-folk troubadour M Ward) is another worthy offering for fans of The Beach Boys, The Carpenters and Camera Obscura.

Volume 2 sounds more assured than its superbly-received predecessor, but it does revoke some of its emotional divergence in favour of a ceaselessly cheering pace.

The duo’s overarching charm still lies in their sunny understatement: M Ward is a virtuosic but modest guitarist, and the album’s production is similarly easygoing. Deschanel’s underplayed vocals, meanwhile, are laid-back, luminous and lovely.