Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson [B&N Exclusive Baby Blue Vinyl] in Bloomington, MN

M. Ward
and
Zooey Deschanel
's first set of new music in six years,
Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson
, is a love letter to one of the duo's biggest influences. Since emerging in 2008,
She & Him
have quietly curated a catalog that nimbly toes the line between innovation and novelty. Unabashed lovers of all things vintage pop -- the pair's self-penned material is sonically congruent with their myriad holiday and cover songs -- the dewy-eyed
Melt Away
fits snugly into the
canon. Commencing with a genial rendition of
Wild Honey
's "Darlin'," the 14-track set digs deep into the
Wilson
songbook, with only "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Don't Worry Baby," and "Do It Again" -- the latter of which features the head
Beach Boy
himself on lead vocal -- channeling oldies radio.
Ward
's dusty baritone lends itself well to breezy confections like "Kiss Me, Baby" and "Darlin'," but not so much to
's more dulcet melodies. For those, he defers to
Deschanel
, whose rich,
Spector
-esque harmonies and emotive leads achieve a fluidity that
can only muster on the guitar. When the two persuasions collide ("Til I Die," "Don't Talk [Put Your Head on My Shoulder]," "Please Let Me Wonder"), it's like a softly swaying hula doll on a deuce coupe dashboard. Despite the occasional misstep,
's reverence for the source material is evident throughout -- both artists grew up in Southern California. Their renderings of "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" may be ramshackle, but much like the originals, they're delivered with unguarded joy and wide-eyed innocence. ~ James Christopher Monger