Its not a test, its brilliant!
Glorious.
No need for wasting time, ‘This Is Not a Test’ is a beautiful slice of heart-warming country pop from an act that could be one of the underground hits of the summer.
Their impeccable taste was first shown on their cover of Richard and Linda Thompson phenomenal track (seriously, ignore any misconception you may have about folk and check out the original) ‘When I Get to the Border’ and the first single from ‘Volume One’ sees Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward on top form. It may not take a lot to determine who the She & Him in the relationship is but everything else is well above the basic.
Some of the soaring moments in the first verse alone will steal your heart and Zooey Deschanel looks set to ease into the list of fantastic female singers operating in this field. Given she is also a credible actress, its fair to say there is a lot going on with the girl. Some of the passages hint at 60s girl band pop so you know it’s catchy and upbeat but there are moments of depth here as well. Considering its just a single that is being reviewed here, its hard to argue with how much is being packed in!
Of course, it’s a duo and it would be crazy to overlook M Ward. No matter what, if Americana and folk carry an interest to you, its likely you will at least be aware of the mans work if not the man himself. His own solo work was highly impressive (‘Post War’ scoring highly here on R13) but the skills contributed to records by Jenny Lewis, Bright Eyes and My Morning Jacket tells you everything you need to know about what is going on here.
Sit back, relax and enjoy.