Inspired by holiday albums from The Carpenters, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and Vince Guaraldi, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward decide to put on their festive jumpers and have a crack at it themselves. The She & Him website claims that the pair “bring new emotions out of old songs”. Unfortunately after listening to their single Christmas Day (originally done by The Beach Boys), it seems that these “new” emotions are grounded in boredom.
Deschanel sounds like she hates Christmas. She remains strikingly detached from the song, almost as if she is satisfying a drunken uncle who has forced a mic into her hand at a family Christmas bash. The vacuous drift of the song isn’t a problem, the dull vocals capture the post-Christmas dinner feeling perfectly and the heavy reverb and retro-sounding backing vocals will undoubtedly secure the song a spot on the Starbucks seasonal playlist. It is the constriction in Deschanel’s voice that is irritating – controlling the vocal sounds like an enormous effort.
Fortunately for the pair, the popularity of the Deschanel brand that brought in-your-face kook and vintage sun dresses to mainstream Hollywood will ensure that there won’t be a shortage of interest in a She & Him Christmas.
[Rating: 2.5]
