A Free Man

” I’m sorry, two words
I always think after you’re gone
When I realize I was acting all wrong
So selfish, two words that could describe
Old actions of mine when patience is in short supply…”

Feist - “So Sorry”

I first heard of Feist on NPR’s “World Cafe” podcast. The live music she played was good but what caught my attention was the host, David Dye, comparing her to Joni Mitchell. Mitchell’s album “Blue” is one of my all time favorites. In fact, I’m a big fan of good female singer-songwriters in general, so I thought I better have a proper listen to Feist.

Leslie Feist is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is also a member of the innovative indie group Broken Social Scene. “The Reminder” is her fourth solo album and may be the one that helps her too break into the mainstream. This is the kind of record that can do that for a female singer-songwriter - it’s accessible, well-developed lyrically, and instrumentally enthralling. This could be said about a lot of other one-named female singer-songwriters, but let me help you out - Feist is more Bjork than Dido. That’s because beyond the mainstream accessibility and sweetness of “The Reminder” there’s real talent and passion.

The record is kind of a hodge-podge, but in a way that is compelling rather than sounding patched together. Feist switches back and forth between darkly introspective acoustic numbers and foot-tapping, radio-friendly pop songs. She seems to channel some of the great women of music throughout the album channels Tori Amos and Kate Bush, Goldfrapp (on My Moon My Man), Bjork (Intuition) and most notably Nina Simone on the stand-out track of the album “Sea Lion Woman”. This track in itself is worth the price of admission - it feels like like Feist is challenging Simone on one of her most famous recordings, as if Simone were still alive the gauntlet would be thrown down. A diva duel. “I Feel It All” and “1234″ are ripping pop songs, I challenge you not to sing along after the third listen and the horns in the latter are wonderful (I’m into horns lately). Tracks like “The Park”, “Intuition” and “The Water” are softly thoughtful - but don’t veer off toward self-pity or misanthropy (see Liz Phair for examples) - and showcase Feist’s lyrical skills. From the latter:

“I’m pale as a pile of bones
You hope for your babies and this is how they grow
With batters knocked over
The teeth bite the shoulder
Watching the gray sky that’s acting like a good guy”

I purchased this album the old-fashioned way and am glad that I did as the album art is very good. As an aside, when did these new CD covers with the rounded corners come out? I like them but just curious. Anyway, the record drags a bit toward the ends and the bonus track is a waste. But that could be due to my short attention span. One complaint is that I don’t hear a lot of Joni Mitchell, maybe a little bit in the acoustic and piano heavy “The Limit to Your Love”. But even if I was misled by David Dye (maybe he figured Canadian, so she’s more like Joni Mitchell than Celine Dion?) I’m happy about the purchase. I tend toward bands I’ve already heard of, and it’s nice to find a new gem now and again. The verdict on this one is that it’s a subtle and beautiful album. If you’re fond of female singer-songwriters, buy it now. If not, at least download “Sea Lion Woman”.

“Why should he come back through the park?
You thought that you saw him but no you did not
It’s not him who’d come across
The sea to surprise you
Not him who would know
Where in London to find you…”

Feist - “The Park”

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