last year i was very impressed with a seemingly unlikely collaboration that occurred between folk singer songwriter m. ward and the independent film starlet, zooey deschanel called 'she and him'. zooey and m. released their album entitled 'volume 1', a 12 track album filled with the twangy sounds of m. wards guitar and covering zooeys singing talents with the spotlight.
well like with all good things (software, signature dinner dishes, and movies) a successful idea has been replicated, built upon, and released as a slightly different version. this september has brought us another indie folk star teaming up with another leading lady. our 2009 starlet-folkster collaboration is between pete yorn and scarlett johansson with their september release 'break up'.
i was skeptical of this album when i first heard about the album and collaboration on the radio and then upon its release saw it in starbucks as the 'album of the week' or something like that. after seeing the album while drinking my milky late i can recall thinking to myself 'robert plant and alison krauss win one grammy and now the guy with the guitar and the girl with the voice = instant success, and throw in a movie star and this bitch is going platinum ... geez get an original idea people', but i got my hands on the album anyway.
i like it. i dont want to, but i actually enjoy it. where 'she and him are' stripped back 'pete and scarlett' are over produced, but it adds to the sound and lends to his songwriting and her voice. she can sing. where on the screen she brings an over the top beauty and an amazing bust ... on this album she is understated and a tad bit vulnerable which makes her warm, accessible, and someone you can understand. the breaking up theme is very cliched, and i applaud 'she and him' for approaching and exploring those themes (along with others) without hitting the listener over the head with it. with that being said yorn's song writing is all just throw away cliched turns of phrase - there is some substance underneath all the heart ache (check out the tracks 'wear and tear' and 'shampoo' for an example of this).
all in all its worth a try. go to last.fm and listen to the single 'relator' (miserable name), check out there stuff on youtube (See below), and decide for yourself if you should give it a try. while i dont like it more than the other duets listed above, my low expectations have been exceeded and has left me wondering if i am a sucker for a scruff guitarist and pretty voice starlet combo ...
pete yorn and scarlett johansson - 'shampoo'
she and him - 'you really got a hold on me'
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