A Very She and Him Christmas

The two best-selling Christmas albums this year are Christmas from crooner Michael Buble, who channels Sinatra and Dino Martin's jazzy renderings of Christmas albums past, and A Very She and Him Christmas, a future classic for the smart-phone generation.

Zooey Deschanel (She) and M Ward (Him) have produced a laid-back but fun album of several Christmas standards, with influences from Karen Carpenter, the Beach Boys, and Brenda Lee, but in their own mellow, hip musical style.

Movie and TV star Deschanel is also a gifted singer. She reminds me of Linda Ronstadt at her apex in the ’60s, with her vulnerable sex appeal and compelling voice. Her silky smooth, upbeat version of "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" and her Carpenters-inspired duet with M Ward on "Sleigh Ride" are sure to be heard in every coffee shop you pop into during the holiday rush.

Deschanel belts a fun Beach Boys–influenced version of their signature holiday song "Little Saint Nick," and she sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" so seductively that every male who hears it will wish she were singing to him. M Ward's understated guitar is the perfect enhancement to the intimate vocals and sparse production on the CD, and he takes a solid lead vocal on the obscure "Christmas Wish" and makes it memorable.

When you start to feel overwhelmed by the holiday crush, listen to this delightful album on your iWhatever. It’s sure to remind you of the joys of the season.

• Album: A Very She and Him Christmas
• Artist: She and Him
• Label: Merge Records
• Songs: (1) The Christmas Waltz (2) Christmas Day (3) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (4) I'll Be Home for Christmas (5) Christmas Wish (6) Sleigh Ride (7) Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (8) Silver Bells (9) Baby It's Cold Outside (10) Blue Christmas (11) Little Saint Nick (12) The Christmas Song