She & Him, Volume One

by dave heaton

The title Volume One implies that there will be more volumes to come. But more than that, it marks She & Him’s album as a project – not some grand, ambitious, important statement, but two people making music for fun, going with the flow. Those two people are Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. The humbleness of the album’s presentation may have something to do with Deschanel, a great film actress from a talented film family, not wanting to be considered just another name on the list of actors who wake up one day and decide that they can sing, that they’re gonna be rock n’ roll stars. Deschanel has been singing for years: in public as part of a cabaret act, on film in Elf, and no doubt at home, where she’s been keeping most of the songs that make up Volume One.

Volume One is in essence a showcase for Deschanel’s songs and singing, with Ward capably assisting with the instruments and production. The classic pop sound and style of Deschanel’s songs is right in line with the timelessness of Ward’s own music, with his obvious love for the music of the past. Which isn’t to say that it sounds like his music, per se, though his distinctive guitar playing does show up here and there, and his equally distinctive voice sings harmony a few times, particularly on two fine covers. One is the Beatles’ “I Should Have Known Better”, given a sweet Hawaiian slant. The other is a spare, stunning torch-song version of “You Really Got a Hold On Me”, by one of the greatest songwriters, period: Smokey Robinson.

Those songs are just part of the fabric, though. The spotlight is on Deschanel’s songs, which come from similar places as those covers, if you also throw classic country balladry and ‘50s girl-group harmonies into the mix. From the opening “Sentimental Heart”, with her voice shining over piano and George Martin-esque strings, through to the breezy, especially pop closer “Sweet Darlin’”, the songs range from pleasant to truly special, taking no nose-dives in the middle. “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” takes a lonely-hearted love song and makes it completely playful and fun. “Change Is Hard” is a classic slow-dance number, with Ward’s guitar sketching around the outside of the track, giving it a glow while Deschanel sings with a sad sense of understanding: “change is hard / I should know.” Another of my favorites is “Black Hole”. It’s a less dramatic, little song, more likely to slip into the shadows, but contains a treasure chest of harmony vocals; a catchy, rollercoaster main melody line; and a pretty presentation of just vocals and guitar, until the drums nicely kick in about halfway through.

That song is like the album as a whole: it sounds familiar in a very comforting way. That’s because of how much She & Him are in love with the great pop music of the past, but more than that it’s because of how perfectly the capture the warmth of that music, the emotion but also the mood. They’re not just imitating classic music. They’re grabbing hold of that ineffable something-or-other that made the music so special in the first place, that makes songs mean so much to people.

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