She & Him unveil fresh new album with classic feel


Just in time for soft snowflake-filled mornings and afternoons filled with rich hot chocolate comes She & Him’s new album Classics, which is released on Dec. 5. This record stars the “She” counterpart, Zooey Deschanel, voice accompanied by M. Ward’s “Him.” A smooth, sweet and very old-school album, Classics is reminiscent of the times in which some of the album cuts were originally produced.

Dynamic duo · Zooey Deschanel’s unique vocals mesh well with M. Ward’s smooth melodies on a tracklist featuring a series of lesser-known hits spanning generations of iconic singers including renditions of  Frank Sinatra’s “Stars Fell on Alabama” and Carole King’s “Oh Not My Baby.” - Photo courtesy of She & Him

Dynamic duo · Zooey Deschanel’s unique vocals mesh well with M. Ward’s smooth melodies on a tracklist featuring a series of lesser-known hits spanning generations of iconic singers including renditions of Frank Sinatra’s “Stars Fell on Alabama” and Carole King’s “Oh Not My Baby.” – Photo courtesy of She & Him

The album opens with a beautiful cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Stars Fell On Alabama.” The band reminds listeners of the smooth jazz syndicated sound that accompanies most of Norah Jones best work. It’s easy to see why they chose this smile inducing song as their album opener. “Stars Fell On Alabama,” sets the tone for the whole album and alerts listeners to its potential to becoming an unforgettable holiday record. Christmas favorites are not among the songs recorded, but Classics pulls from every generation and will surely put a smile on any relative’s face as they remember the hits of their younger years.

The next cut, “Oh Not My Baby,” a Carole King original, showcases Zooey Deschanel’s unique voice. Though not as classic as King’s, Deschanel’s voice is able to add a haunting beauty to the old pop favorite. This song was meant to accompany holiday cocktail parties or just those Mad Men-esque evenings where a little beauty is necessary.

The whole album is classy and decadent, oozing over the sides like a double-rich chocolate cake. The third song on the album, “It’s Not For Me to Say,” originally by Johnny Mathis, only emphasizes this point. A sleepy number that makes one think of satin dressing gowns and looking at a tired Las Vegas circa 1973 at 4 a.m.,  the song captures the mood that Mathis was trying to create while adding their own almost-too-sweet layer of frosting on top.

Though the album could be too much, too overdone or just too sappy to listen to, She & Him offers enough range and versatility, and their band enough innovative phrasing, that Classics maintains its classic quality rather than falling into the pit of being dated. That said, the album does retain a sort of campy spirit that would make it a perfect gift for anyone who would frequent Urban Outfitters or pair his ironic moustaches with suspenders. In other words, with this album, She & Him have created an almost-not-quite pretentious, retro-chic, vintage-tinged sound that should be queasiness inducing and yet, for some reason, isn’t in the slightest.

The fourth cut on the album, “Stay Awhile,” could rouse a two-step in just about anyone. Though this album has already marked a space on most holiday morning playlists, this particular song carries it over to old school cocktail parties as well as lonely drives through the country. A fun dance number like this is reminiscent of soundtracks to indie movies set in the heartland or the background music of a holiday episode of The Office.

This strange, hip, slightly cheesy sound is exactly what She & Him are going for. In their past holiday album, they were able to make holiday favorites more approachable for Generation X-ers and millennials who had sworn off anything mainstream.  Classics does the same thing and takes it one step further. She & Him don’t have to do any extra work to make old school vintage Americana songs approachable for their hip audience, but their updates do make their sound accessible for more mainstream listeners who would have steered clear of them in other circumstances.

She & Him purposely did not create a holiday album. However, intentionally or not, Classics will become the perfect accompaniment to a holiday season spent with friends, or family. She & Him bring a home staple that could be a present for mom or just a way to calm down in traffic during the Winter morning commute. The album is safe and comforting like a hug or a favorite pair of socks, and like both, it won’t go out of style anytime soon.

Classics, is available for download on iTunes and Spotify. Let Deschanel and Ward dot the “i’s” on the Christmas cards and make cooking the holiday ham, just a little sweeter. An all-around warm and fuzzy collection of old hits with a new urban spin, Classics, is a must for this holiday season.