Its alright...its okay...She & Him hit the road with Volume Two

photo by Sam Jones

She & Him on the road...

Volume two, from the dynamic duo of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, known as She & Him, has been my own on the road soundtrack for the last month. Living and working in Los Angeles can make one a bit frazzled, especially if one's daily commute consists of never-ending traffic, re-occuring air (and agitation) pollution, and the stresses that seem to be born and bred here - worries on getting by, surviving, competing, maintaing the composure to be yourself.

On a good day one can use a bit of soothing, nostalgic-laden, candy-coated musical relief...and on the rough days, sometimes it can be the only paste keeping you together.

She & Him is a whole lot of all of that.

Songs such as Don't Look Back and I'm Gonna Make It Better bring back memories of Sunday drives in the back of my Grandparents' car, or the occasional family road trip - the music that I'd pick up on my portable radio, listening while roadside attractions, gas stations and nowhere in particular diners flashed by my window. There was always hope in the sound of the music, even if the lyrics hit on heartbreak or a hard-to-get romance; ever and always a sung-a-long promise of possibility.

Like the road ahead, full of twists and turns, and brake lights, but there is always a destination sought that we know can be achieved - and that is a kind of hope, too.

This Summer, She & Him's Volume Two will continue to keep me going, and keep my cool. I'll keep it in my favorite rotations, letting the promise of hope and ease and delight accompany my daily trips In The Sun.

And don't miss catching She & Him's own road trip stops:

The tour dates are:

7/1 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
7/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing
7/3 Oxford, ME @ Nateva Music Festival
7/4 New York, NY @ The Beach at Governors Island
7/6 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 – SOLD OUT
7/7 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club – SOLD OUT
7/9 Atlanta, GA Atlanta @ Botanical Gardens – SOLD OUT
7/10 Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnaces
7/11 Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Festival
7/18 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl**
8/26 Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Music Series
8/28 Omaha, NE @ Anchor Inn
8/29 St. Louis, MO @ LOUFest
8/30 Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
9/1 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium