Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson team up for their debut album 'Break-up' (Atco/Rhino) set to release September 8. The 1960s Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot-inspired duet complements both the artist's voices, while the lyrics reveal a tumultuous love affair. The idea came to Yorn in a dream, and after reaching out to Johansson, they recorded nine songs (eight written by Yorn) in just two days. Be sure to check out the Spinner.com feature about the making of the duets album as well as some of the reviews below.
Aversion (2/5): "'Break Up' certainly doesn't sound anything like Johansson's previous recording....[it] is worlds more like Ward and Deschanel's time spent together than anything from the controversial Frenchman and his movie-star girlfriend... it's hard to view 'Break Up' as anything but a fantastically transparent cash-in on the groundwork laid by 'She and Him.' Take one established singer/songwriter, one paralyzingly beautiful screen star and let them pile through a nine-song collection of love songs. The rest will fall into place."
Sputnik Music (3.5/5): "Just as the beginning of 'I Don't Know What To Do' carries an unfamiliar soul twang that many would never have expected, Yorn seems to bring out the best in her...'Break Up' rarely kicks into 'full swing', preferring to favour stuttered, soul/jazz-influenced backdrops and catchy (but never overtly so) choruses that seep in slowly, like, I'm in love with a girl, sees what you are, what you a-are, from the chorus of 'Blackie's Dead'...even the layered vocals of 'Shampoo' feel perfectly oriented, and I don't remember feeling like a duet record was as well executed as this."
