Two things I hate in life.  The first is actors attempting to be musicians.  Ugh.  And the second, musicians feeling the need to release holiday albums.  Again, ugh.  Can't we all just throw on Vince Guarldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas and call it a day?  So then She & Him, the indie duo made up of actress Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, go ahead and release their own holiday album, A Very She & Him Christmas.  Hmmm.  I have to admit though, I like She & Him.  Maybe, and I am sure I am not the only one, it's because I find Zooey Deschanel quite charming and just a bit irresistible. The other thing is they are actually pretty good.  Deschanel has this classic sounding voice that channels singers of old that I can not get enough of, and M Ward, who already has a successful solo career, seems to be enjoying playing second fiddle of sorts (there is a reason they are not called She & He) while letting her take in the spotlight. 

Having been released back in October, I never really gave the album a listen because, well, it was October and I was not quite in the mood for holiday tunes the week leading up to Halloween, but now that Christmas is less than two weeks away, the album seems just a bit more relevant now.  Filled of 12 classic holiday numbers, the record leads off with "The Christmas Waltz", a sparse tune that finds Zeschanel backed only by the simple acoustic plucking of Ward.  I was pleased that my favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", was included in the recording.  Ward's muted guitar play gives the song a very slow, rockabilly feel that I really enjoy while lush backing vocals add an additional layer.  "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Sleigh Ride" gives Ward a chance to sing as the call and resonse vocals of the former nicely blend the duo's voices the while later really stresses the pleasant quirkiness of Deschanel.  The bridge includes a nice, laid back surf rock riff.

The album never goes over the top with theatrics and orchestras, something many holiday releases tend to do.  Rather, the songs act as a showcase for Deschanel's ever growing vocals while Ward knows exactly when to add a little here and there to liven the song up.  Cliche or not, less is more in this case certainly was the way to go.  In the end, A Very She & Him Christmas is not going to break any new ground.  Deschanel and Ward give the tunes just enough though to make them their own, which is really all you can ask for when covering a collection of songs that have been covered to death in every which way over the years.  At the very least, it's alot better than listening to this.