Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward comprise the sweetly lilting, guitar-twanging duo She & Him. Formed in 2006, the promising young actress teamed up with the rising musical talent (who worked with several artists in the past including Neko Case and Jolie Holland) to record a duet. The recording session proved to be such a successful collaboration for the two that it naturally led to future meetings, which eventually amassed into several demos, the foundation of their first album simply titled Volume One.

Deschanel has a sound that is perfectly country — it’s sweet (and yet a bit sad) and clean. Paired with Ward’s simplistic chords and style, her voice shines. The track “I Was Made For You” seems to have fallen right out of the 50s. The cover songs, Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Gotta Hold On Me” and The Beatles’s “I Should Have Known Better” are charming version of the originals.

She & Him’s music is unlike anything else on the mainstream or indie markets right now. It’s refreshing and completely devoid of any kind of pressure to conform or manufacture to fit the current musical trends. Not only do they sound lovely, the lyrics are relevant, emotional, and genuine …

So I'll keep my head down / if you keep it quiet from now on. / In the halls I’d rather hear silence than the bell of new love. / So don’t brag. / Keep it to yourself.

M. Ward has recently revealed that the pair are working on the band’s second record, Volume Two, which he assures will make leaps and bounds from where the lovely Volume One ended. Can they repeat the musical integrity and success of this album? Let’s hope so.


TRACK LISTING:

SENTIMENTAL HEART
WHY DO YOU LET ME STAY HERE?
THIS IS NOT A TEST
CHANGE IS HARD
I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR FACE TODAY
TAKE IT BACK
I WAS MADE FOR YOU
YOU REALLY GOTTA HOLD ON ME
BLACK HOLE
GOT ME
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
SWEET DARLIN’
UNTITLED