MOG

Maybe I had a wee chip on my shoulder when I went to Bimbo’s 365 Club on Sunday to see She & Him – touring to promote their debut album Volume One. I mean, I’m already on record as a supporter of the talented, cheerfully idiosyncratic Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter-guitarist M. Ward who is the "Him" in She & Him. But, even though I had seen the folk-rock/alt-country duo and their band performing a couple of songs on late-night television and enjoyed what they did, I couldn’t shake the idea that the "She" of the group – gamine actress Zooey Deschanel ("Elf," "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe," "The Good Girl," "Almost Famous," etc.) - was a case of stunt casting.

You know the deal. We’ve seen it before: Hollywood brat decides to be a rock star, does trumped up vanity project, ends up in the cut-out bin, blah, blah, blah…

I was wrong though. She & Him were a treat in concert. Ward was, as usual, shifting from tasteful and eloquent to jagged and off-the-wall on guitar. And Deschanel was the heart of the thing. She writes the duo’s wry, bittersweet songs (although they do a few covers – beautifully). She sings them – skillfully. And she plays piano, tidily.

Them...She & Him.

On television, I enjoyed her winsome delivery, even if she seemed somewhat tentative. In concert, she was so much more assured. She could project a breathy girlishness when the material called for it. Then, she’d get all womanly and passionate on the next song. When she dug into covers of the soulful Smokey Robinson & the Miracles hit "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and Joni Mitchell’s witty, seductive love song "You Turn Me On – I’m a Radio," she was never intimidated by the original artists – and her voice was potent enough to call it belting. Ward’s playing was an ideal complement, and they were ably supported by the rest of the ensemble, including back-up singer Becky Sharp (lead vocalist with the opening act – the dreamy folk-pop unit Lavender Diamond).

Deschanel’s compositions range from the confessional chamber-folk revelations of "Sentimental Heart" to the early ‘60s girl-group R&B verve of "I Was Made for You," the broken-hearted, country-styled regret of "Change Is Hard," and the romping Beatlesque rock of "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" (The latter was the penultimate song of the set, a genuine peak, and featured a wild, stunning Ward solo.) And talk about gutsy: the encore included versions of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ "I Put a Spell on You" (as a dark duet) and Sam Cooke’s "Bring It On Home to Me." Again, Deschanel delivered.

So I’m on board. If you enjoy Jenny Lewis with or without Rilo Kiley, allow me to recommend She & Him. Deschanel can act all she wants, and M. Ward better keep putting out his own music. I’d just hate to think that they would leave this collaboration on the back burner for too long.

Those who are so inclined can listen to a stream of "I Was Made for You" on the MOG player. And they can also enjoy a performance of "Change is Hard" from "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" via the clip below: