She and Him
Volume 1
Merge Records (www.mergrecords.com)
It seems that a number of actresses are trying to sing of late, with decidedly mixed results. Happily, Zooey Deschanel is a talented double-threat. On She & Him, she joins forces with alt-folk star M. Ward to create an album which channels the lilting sounds of late 1950s popular music – both solidly MOR fare and country stylings. Improbably, the gambit works beautifully, both on cover songs – a twangy version of Lennon and McCartney’s “I should have Known Better” is particularly tasty – and a number of originals. Of the latter, “Why do you let my Stay Here” is a delightful girl group-vocal charmer with some fine guitar work by Ward, “I was Made for You” is a fine rock ‘n roll number, and “Take it Back” is an affecting torch song, with a passionate vocal and piquant harmonies played by strings and piano. It will be interesting to hear if Volume Two tries on another pop era for size, or if Deschanel and Ward continue to mine this surprisingly fresh take on a long gone decade’s music-making.
-Christian Carey
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