She & Him make a delightful duo

Think about this: If all your favorite musicians were besties, you'd probably have hot air balloons full of amazing CDs. Sometimes the most unusual of pairs make the best music together, and sometimes the sweetest of individuals (Khaela and YACHT) team up to make the most fun music evs.

Best new unexpected team: M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, together known as She & Him. Their album is a delicious mix of an almost country twang and 60s pop music (try "Sweet Darlin'" if you're into the 60s pop). For those of you addicted to covers, there's also a version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" as well as "You Really Gotta Hold On Me" by the Miracles. By far, the stand out tracks on the album are "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", a catchy tune that I love for it's sassy "I like your style" line. The opening track, "Sentimental Heart" is also an excellent song. It's very pretty and an great example of why M. Ward needed to team up with a girl with a cute voice all along.

Although the music is overall excellent, I have one complaint: The lyrics are weak. I don't mean they're bad, they're actually very well written. What I mean is that they tell a story of a terribly weak person. Someone who sits on the shelf waiting for someone (in "Why Do You...") and someone who has trouble overcoming heartache because they're too sappy ("Sentimental Heart").

My one complaint is something that's easy to get over, so I suggest you give it a listen anyways, if only because you have a crush on Zooey D.

>>> Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
>>> Sentimental Heart