She & Him - Volume One

Why do you think, of all the guitar players on the planet she could arrange a conversation with, would Zooey Deschanel (having played prominent roles in films like Almost Famous, Elf, and Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) align herself with M. Ward to make her first album? Granted, Mr. Ward is a highly regarded indie-folk singer-songwriter in his own right, but most women who have chosen to move from media darling to music starlet have decided to make vaguely passable R&B-ish pop tunes with glitzy, trendy producers. Moreover, according to the press surrounding the collaboration, it was Ward who approached Deschanel about her music, having been introduced to her through mutual friends.

What is this you say? A movie star who is reluctant to have her name thrust into another spotlight? Those actually exist? Such ponderings aside, the real question is this: Are her songs worth anything or will this be another case of a celebrity thinking that her talent on the big screen means that she has talent in other arenas?

Thankfully, Ms. Deschanel is no flighty celebutante and M. Ward is a more-than-capable cohort, as the two of them have partnered together under the moniker of She & Him to create Volume One. The record resonates with an emotional depth and awareness that is foreign to much of what passes for contemporary country music, hearkening the listener back to a time when producers actually allowed the singer to sing, as opposed to masking them in waves of string sections and electronic gobbledygook. Moreover, the slow and mournful tracks come across with a greater strength and weight than do the indie-pop ditties; the songs Zooey sings at her lover sound truer than those about her concept of love.

As difficult as it is not to want to two-step to the fun, upbeat “This Is Not A Test” the earnest passion that comes across in offerings like “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here,” “Change Is Hard,” or “You really Gotta Hold On Me” is both more believable and imminently more indicative of the duo’s overall musical direction. However, everything on Volume One isn’t glistening with moody, sultry ambience; lyrics like “I’m stuck here getting misty over you. I’m alone on a bicycle for two,” (from “Black Hole”) come across as more than a bit trite, as if Zooey was reading from the journal of her lovelorn, 15-year-old self.

And while the album is rather coherent in terms of genre, there are simply songs that fall flat (“Got Me” and “Sweet Darling”) because they follow the stylistic formula a bit too closely. Overall, this is a breezy, delectable little country-folk album that serves as a showcase for Zooey’s Loretta Lynn-styled vocals and Matt’s pop sensibilities, an easy selection for those times when hipsters want to pop something in their stereos that they, their significant others, and their parents can all enjoy.