A Very She & Him Christmas
by She & Him
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Oct 25, 2011
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Mojo
    May 31, 2012
    80
    As M. Ward's unflustered, vintage-sounding guitars gift memories of Chet Atkins and Les Paul, there's a welcome, brandies-by-the fireside serenity afoot. [Jan 2012, p.92]
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Oct 21, 2011
    75
    While some covers feel dreary--"Silver Bells" is less tinkly than dirgelike--Deschanel's unfussy voice puts a charming spin on yuletide chestnuts "Blue Christmas" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."
  3. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Dec 12, 2011
    70
    Consists entirely of tasteful campfire-folk covers of seasonal classics.
  5. The New York Times
    Dec 6, 2011
    70
    She & Him, the duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, maintains its early-1960s retro cool on its Christmas album.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    Nov 28, 2011
    70
    It isn't highbrow or ground-breaking, but it is fun and uplifting.
  7. PopMatters
    Nov 4, 2011
    70
    A calm, simple and easy to listen to recording to sit with and relax.
  8. BBC Music
    Oct 27, 2011
    70
    There's plenty to raise a smile over these 12 songs, and that's no doubt exactly what She & Him intended from them.
  9. The Independent (UK)
    Jan 3, 2012
    60
    The blend of simplicity and sophistication is fairly well suited to the material, avoiding cloying sentimentality and religiose bluster.
  10. Q Magazine
    Dec 22, 2011
    60
    The duo deliver traditional virtues and a familiar Yuletide ambiance here. [Jan 2012, p.124]
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  11. Beats Per Minute
    Nov 2, 2011
    60
    If anything, A Very She & Him Christmas can feel like a wet blanket at times, like a party that just can't get off the ground.
  12. Consequence
    Nov 1, 2011
    60
    Ultimately, A Very She & Him Christmas is an enjoyable if forgettable project that its creators probably had a very fun time making.
  13. AllMusic
    Oct 24, 2011
    60
    The results can be winning, especially when they're slathered in classic, Les Paul/Mary Ford-inspired slapback delay. However, busier cuts like "Sleigh Ride," "Little Saint Nick," and "Christmas Day" reveal a charming yet pitchy vocalist with all of the inflections of a classic torch singer, and none of the discipline.
  14. Pitchfork
    Oct 28, 2011
    53
    A Very She & Him stands guilty not of being oppressively adorkable, but of being not nearly adorkable enough.
  15. Under The Radar
    Oct 28, 2011
    50
    A Very She & Him Christmas' main fault is that it can so easily fade into the background as the season never would, no matter how hard one might try and avoid it.
  16. Uncut
    Dec 12, 2011
    40
    It's a sweet-natured and seemingly uncynical exercise which, while pretty enough, brings nothing new to these well-worn ditties. [Jan 2012, p.101]
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  17. The Guardian
    Dec 8, 2011
    40
    A Very She & Him Christmas could have done with a little more of the wide-eyed, kooky-face, make-your-bestie-a-yummy-pancake Deschanel: the results might or might not have been unbearable, but they certainly wouldn't have been dull.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. melmaz3303
    Nov 22, 2011
    9
    Love Zooey's voice. A perfect cd to play during Christmas dinner. Zooey and Ward are a great combination. The Christmas Song is still myLove Zooey's voice. A perfect cd to play during Christmas dinner. Zooey and Ward are a great combination. The Christmas Song is still my favorite...especially on this cd.… Full Review »
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