She & Him honor Brian Wilson on their forthcoming studio album, Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson, which is set for release on July 22 via Fantasy Records. The duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward previewed the 14-song collection by sharing its opening track and lead single, “Darlin’.”
Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson marks She & Him’s seventh studio album and first since 2016’s Christmas Party. “In the spring of 2020, we started a list of our favorite Brian songs — a very long list,” the duo stated in a press release. “We chose songs without any regard to their chart performance. The obscure ones hit us just as hard as the more popular songs — and all are ripe for re-imagining, re-interpreting, and re-inventing. Brian writes songs of beauty and loneliness and vulnerability better than anyone — and by sequencing them next to popular songs of confidence and love and fun, it creates a more complete picture of life on earth.”
She & Him previously contributed vocals to Wilson’s 2015 album, No Pier Pressure. Brian returned the favor by teaming with the pair on Melt Away track “Do It Again,” a song originally released as a Beach Boys single in 1968. “Zooey and Matt did such mind-blowing versions of our songs,” Brian Wilson said. “The harmonies are beautiful and right on. I love this record!”
Brian Wilson and Mike Love co-wrote “Darlin’” for The Beach Boys’ Wild Honey album in 1967. She & Him tapped Lara Jean Gallagher to direct a QVC-inspired video for their take on the song.
Watch She & Him’s “Darlin’” video below:
She & Him will hit the road for the Melt Away Tour: A Tribute To Brian Wilson this summer. Check out the dates by clicking below:
Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson Tracklist
- Darlin’
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice
- Til I Die
- Deirdre
- Melt Away
- Good To My Baby
- Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
- Don’t Worry Baby
- This Whole World
- Kiss Me, Baby
- Do It Again ft. Brian Wilson
- Heads You Win, Tails I Lose
- Please Let Me Wonder
- Meant For You
