#9. Number nine, number nine, number nine...

Number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine...

And now, for something completely different, we turn to “Thieves” by She & Him. “She” is Zooey Deschanel, an actress who I am only familiar with as Uncle Andy's crazy ex-girlfriend Kat in Seasons Two and Three of Weeds. I've yet to block out two hours of my undivided attention to watch "500 Days of Summer," her romantic comedy with the guy who played the sad little kid in "Angels in the Outfield."  But while she may not have made my Oscar shortlist, her work as one half of She & Him has landed her and Him firmly in the coveted #9 spot on the Top 10 of 2010.

Grammatical objections notwithstanding, "Him" is M. Ward, a singer-songwriter who has been kicking around the independent music scene for the better part of the decade. He handles most of the musical heavy lifting - writing and arranging the songs, as well as playing the instruments - then wisely gets out of the way for Zooey to sing the melody on their best tracks. 

M. Ward has cited Johnny Cash as a major influence, but I hear more of June Carter Cash in "Thieves," the best song off She & Him's second album Volume Two. Zooey's hint of a country twang (presumably affected, as she hails from LA) imbues the song with a classic American pathos, heightened by the simple, plaintive character of the lyrics:

And I know / and you know, too / that a love like ours / is terrible news / but that won't stop me crying / no that won't stop me crying over you

#9. She and Him - Thieves



The song builds to its climactic high note, which is delivered with unexpected intensity. At that moment, you can practically see the heartbreaking bastard driving away on a windswept highway in his '72 Chevy while Zooey looks on forlornly from a dust cloud, choking on the bitter taste of too many words left unspoken. Or not.

Either way, there's something beautiful about Zooey's voice and the simple, elegant structure of this quintessential American love song - one of the best of 2010.