Feist: reviews, highlights and essential listens

The Profile

Feist (Leslie Feist) is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for a warm, distinctive voice and eclectic songwriting. She rose to international prominence with The Reminder (2007) and the single 1234, while earlier album Let It Die (2004) blended originals and covers across folk, soul, and French chanson. Metals (2011) revealed a darker, subtler palette. She is associated with Broken Social Scene.

Member/associate of Broken Social Scene; early career included opening for the Ramones; worked with Peaches and By Divine Right; collaborations include Kings of Convenience and Jane Birkin. The Reminder received four Grammy nominations, and 1234 featured in Apple’s iPod Nano campaign.

Three reviews chart Feist’s path from the variety-rich Let It Die to the hit-stacked The Reminder and the shadowy, slow-blooming Metals. Her voice and arrangements balance folk, soul, and pop refinement. Highlights include Mushaboom, My Moon My Man, and 1234 (boosted by the iPod Nano ad). Overall reception: warm, nuanced, and appreciative.

Notable Quotes

❝ Indeed, in eleven songs, six of which are covers, this Canadian singer manages to span from folk to soul to French chanson, even up to the disco music of the ‘70s.

❝ The Reminder is an eclectic, enjoyable album but not for that reason trivial, which could prove to be the surprise of the upcoming Grammy Awards, thanks to the four nominations it received.

❝ An uneasy album, where a gloom quietly seethes, well reflected in the cold reflections of the title and the muted colors of a vaguely unsettling cover.