Shifting from the sunny sixties to the forties and fifties pop duo She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) have produced an album of covers previously done by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. The result is a change from upbeat pop music to a very loungy sound. It is still retro-kitsch but of a different variety. They turn more to jazz and soul to convey songs like “Unchained Melody” and “It’s Not For Me to Say”. Though these are mostly all well-known songs She & Him bring their own sensibilities to them. This is double true of Deschanel’s voice as it is capable of bringing something new to almost any track. M.Ward once again proves he is a better than average guitar player with all the wonderful little touches he instills in the songs. Together they make each song warm and intimate sounding. Maybe this is due to the fact that the thirteen tracks on the album were recorded live. It is an album that offers something for everyone with all its variety. While they are not doing anything incredibly original here they do make it different enough that it separates itself from the pack.
She & Him – Classics
