Every now and then, there is a singer that catches your ear with a beautiful, unique voice. In 2004, Leslie Feist was that person when she released her solo album, Let it Die, to international acclaim. She has returned to form this year with her new album, The Reminder, a collection of songs that focuses more on the uniqueness of her voice and a little bit less on the catchiness of the songs themselves. This album offers all kinds of genres being mashed together, everything from jazz to electronica to country and everything in between.
"So Sorry" is one of the best and most gorgeous album openers I have heard in years, and you just won't be able to get it out of your head. It's not catchy at all, but her voice is just so timeless and it sticks with you for quite some time. Feist provides us with a three minute sung apology with pleading lyrics:
We don't need to say goodbye / We don't need to fight and cry / And no, we could hold each other tight, tonight.
Songs like "I Feel it All" and "Past in Present" are downright head-bobbers that make you want to dance and sing along. These two songs are also the two most guitar-based songs on the album, which is odd because you would think that there would be more with Feist being a guitar player and all. "1, 2, 3, 4" is my favorite song on the entire album. A song about teenage love, something I can relate to, and the fact that it has a banjo all throughout it just wins me over.
"Brandy Alexander" and "The Water" are some of the more lounge sounding songs, mostly because they feature acclaimed pianist and producer Gonzales (who produced and played piano on Feist's last two albums). The pairing of his intricate piano playing and her powerful vocals is just breathtaking.
The sometimes Broken Social Scene singer has proven her ability to be a fantastic solo artist time and time again, and quite easily at that. With songs like sure radio hit, "My Moon My Man," Feist has the ability to attract indie scenesters and mainstream pop listeners. Simply put, this album is better than Let it Die. It is more rounded, it exhibits more of her vocal ability, and it doesn't have as many covers on it (even though her cover of "Inside and Out" by the Bee Gees was awesome). It is one of my favorite albums of the year so far, and a great album to jam with or relax to, depending on what you're feeling like doing at the time.
