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SHE & HIM – "A VERY SHE & HIM CHRISTMAS"

SheHim

"I’ve just always loved Christmas music, and Matt did too. We’ve been talking about it for a long time… We wanted it to feel very intimate, like you were just sitting around the fire and making music." – Zooey Deschanel, She & Him

For many Americans, the brisk fall air is all they need to dust off their favorite holiday music. For others, as soon as they decide to deck their halls, the Christmas music makes its way out from its annual storage. I, on the other hand, have two criteria for busting out my holiday jamz.

One, it has to snow. And I don't mean a few flurries that quickly dissolve on the pavement. I mean snow that sticks around, giving the earth a nice white coat. And/or two, it has to be after Thanksgiving. Not just after Thanksgiving dinner, but actually the day after Thanksgiving. These are the only two times I feel in the holiday spirit. After all, you can't synthesize holiday cheer.

With all of this in mind, I finally gave my first listen to the new She & Him holiday record, A Very She & Him Christmas, on my way home from Thanksgiving. Though the record's been waiting patiently in my iTunes since its release on October 25, I couldn't listen until the time was right.

The record finds the indie duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward covering holiday classics from the likes of The Carpenters, Vince Guaraldi, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and more. It's fitting to finally have a Christmas record from Deschanel, considering her vocal debut in the modern holiday classic, Elf. Those who are familiar with She & Him Volume One or Volume Two will find the light, airy combo of Deschanel's vocals and Ward's acoustic guitar to be a perfect fit for Christmas music, making A Very She & Him Christmas a great addition to your holiday collection. That is, if you can make space between Bing Crosby and The Singing Dogs.

The record is out via Merge and you can even buy a deluxe package that includes a special winter hat or mittens. Watch She & Him perform "The Christmas Waltz" on the festive set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The Music Director