She & Him began innocently enough when its two members -- nouveau folkster M. Ward and blue-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel -- teamed up to record a cover of Richard Thompson's "When I Get ToThe Border" for the film The Go-Getter. Clearly, they found a kindred spirit in the other and their resulting debut album (the ambitiously titled Volume One) is an anachronism of sorts. Ward's music has always been low-fi, but thorny, stuff that borrows heavily from singer/songerwriter sounds of the late 1960s and early '70s. Deschanel has to date been known for her acting roles in a spate of commercially successful films (including Elf, where she can be heard singing a Christmas carol) and so it is her contribution as the primary songwriter that is perhaps more surprising. Although she has been known to star in stage cabarets, this is her first commercial recording project.

The resulting album is a loving tribute to the music that Deschanel's character from Almost Famous surely would have loved. At times, she channels the charmed teeny-bopper, '60s essence of Annette Funicello and Ricky Nelson (especially on the doo-wop of "I Was Made For You") and the grooviness of a Motown diva (Ronnie Specter comes to mind). While M. Ward serves as fellow instrumentalist (he plays primarily guitar, some keys and also served as the project's producer), and provides some hushed backing vocals, this is really an album that actively features more "she" than "him," and it is her charm that gives the album its shimmering swing and character.

There is clearly an era of the '60s that Deschanel is drawn to as a music fan and songwriter; take, for example, her totally serviceable covers of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and The Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better." (It's worthwhile to note that she picked some big shoes to fill and has enough humility and originality to do them both justice.) She plays the reassuring optimist sincerely on "This Is Not A Test" but it is on the love songs where her strengths as songwriter and performer stand out. On "Sentimental Heart," she sidesteps sentimentality by taking herself to task: "Cried all night 'til there was nothing more/ What use am I as a heap on the floor?" The tempo picks up on the crispy pop of "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" and she swings into Dusty Springfield territory on "Change Is Hard." M. Ward keeps the album's peripheral elements hushed and complementary, which is smart; Deschanel has a soft touch that deserves the gentle halo that he gives it throughout. For their first official project, this duo has harvested a refreshingly tender and simple collection stripped bare of anything even resembling "unessential."

By Rachel Parker