She and Him, AKA M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, are back with their latest album, A Very She and Him Christmas, and as the name implies it’s their take on Christmas cheer. When we first heard about the album, we sort of assumed it would be a wall of noise, all singing, all dancing, big band album of a Phil Spector proportions, but the finished article is about as stripped back as a Christmas album could get.
This makes A Very She and Him Christmas very different from most other festive records out there, but in that respect it also makes it a lot more interesting. Deschanel’s vocals are glassy and warm with vague husky overtones, making tracks like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Christmas Waltz and I’ll be Home for Christmas really romantic. A lot of the music behind Deschanel’s voice is pretty simple and acoustic, but every now and again M. Ward breaks out his guitar skills to create something a bit more nuanced, as in the guitar solo in Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and the slow surf notes that back up The Christmas Song.
There’s also some cute duets on Baby, It’s Cold Outside and Christmas Wish that inject even more festive romance into the album. There’s a traditional feel to Christmas Day, and some toe tapping fun on Sleigh Ride, which continues on in the ukulele fuelled Little Saint Nick. The Uke also sees in the end of the album on Silver Bells, by which stage you’ll just need the addition of David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and you’ll be totally covered for good tidings for the whole of the holidays.
A Very She and Him Christmas is probably one of the best modern day Christmas albums to be released, giving a new take on some timeless classics. It’s definitely the most romantic sounding seasonal record to be recorded, so if you’ve got a Christmas with your girlfriend planned like me, this will be ace.
A Very She and Him Christmas album review: 4.2/5
