Feist
Let It Die

THE REVIEW

A nice deception.

The first notes of this album made me think I was about to listen to the usual singer-songwriter who treads paths already crossed thousands of times by many musicians before her. A nice clear voice, delicate and thin, a sweet and catchy melody, sparse arrangements, an acoustic guitar, gentle rhythm, slightly dirty recording for effect. Nice, yes really nice, but already heard. Clichés overused to the point of parody, I think to myself. While I imagine a monotonous and banal listen, a film I’ve seen before, I am promptly disproven song after song. Already by the second track, the atmospheres that open the album move away. The initial bittersweetness becomes lightness, and more refined arrangements can be heard. Feist gradually reveals her hand, consisting of a stylistic sophistication painted in many different colors, in a collage that appears to have an element of randomness. The first impression, therefore, is a half-deception, because the characteristic of "Let it die" is precisely the variety, which is developed with a sincere and altogether pleasant lightness. 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 album probably reflects the multifaceted personality of the singer, who in her brief artistic history has already collected an impressive series of seemingly incoherent collaborations. She began her career opening for the Ramones, was the vocalist for Broken Social Scene and Placebo, duetted first with Kings of Convenience, then with Jane Birkin, and boasts collaborations with Peaches and By Divine Right. In short, Leslie Feist gives the idea of being a chameleon of pop music. Yet, in all this disjointedness, the album finds a common thread in the voice of this singer who accompanies us smoothly from start to finish. It’s a nice album, at times intriguing, with some gems, but I think Feist can do better. I have a feeling she might become a nice surprise. To follow with attention.