Customer Reviews

Let It Die

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If Lesie Feist sounds familiar, it's because of her musical resume -- it ranges from Canadian indie-popsters Broken Social Scene to female rapper Peaches to the Kings of Convenience. That sort of resume also makes one wonder -- what will her solo debut, "Let It Die," sound like?

The answer: Stripped down, sensual pop music, with a touch of jazz and trip-hop around the edges. It kicks off with only the strums of an acoustic guitar, before Feist jumps in like an orphaned torch singer. "Well it's time to begin/as the summer sets in/It's the scene you set for new lovers," she croons.

From there on, Feist doesn't even slow down. She ventures into cheery, catchy pop like "Mushaboom," sensual slow ballads, rippling trippy songs, and smooth torch songs. There's even -- surprisingly -- a cover of the Bee Gees' "Inside And Out," which she gives a funky spin, and a delicately catchy cover of Ron Sexsmith's underrated "Secret Heart."

The flavour of Feist's music isn't the sort that sets off fireworks and sets you raving about how much fun it is. "Let It Die" is the sort of album that is periodically hailed as being the real deal -- no studio tricks, little musical polish, and a reliance on good songwriting and tunes rather than hooks. In other words, pure music.

The star of the music is Feist herself; her vocals are front-and-center, and she proves herself a rare kind of singer. No "American Idol" vocal explosions, no hyperdramatics. Instead, Feist flexes her vocals in all sorts of different ways -- breathy, husky, ethereal and coy, and and moving along with the music in perfect sync.

Not that Feist's good voice doesn't mean that the music isn't also good. Most of the instrumentation is based on piano and acoustic guitar, with snapping fingers, cowbells, a hint of synth and handclaps thrown in. It's very simple, and very pretty, whether trying out catchy pop or traditional-sounding folk. Only a few songs, like the clunky "Lonely Lonely," fail to be captivating.

Leslie Feist moves out of the shadow of the other bands and artists she's worked with, and establishes herself with the beautiful "Let It Die." A rare and good type of pop.

I have never heard of Feist before, but a friend's recommendation and the critical acclaim of the Canadian music press (it was on a lot of "Best of 2004" lists), I picked this album up and was very surprised at what I heard. This is perhaps one of the most pleasant, relaxing and lyrically intriguing albums I own.

Who is Feist? She is a singer from Toronto who has her musical roots in hard rock, having played in a punk band in high school, and then having played guitar for the Canadian band By Divine Right. Now she has changed direction totally with her debut album. Her style of music is very similar to Norah Jones crossed with early Everything But The Girl, but more ambient and less jazzy. Songs like "Gatekeeper", "Let it Die", "Lonely Lonely" are very summery, relaxed chillout songs, while "Mushaboom", "Leisure Suite", "L'amout ne dure pas toujours" and "When I was a young girl" are more lively and ambient pieces. The highlight of this album is her voice, which is absolutely angelic. Her lyrics are almost cryptic at times, but she sings with passion and spirit. "Let it Die" is the perfect soundtrack to your laid-back moments.

Because of all the critical acclaim, Feist will hopefully find a larger audience outside of Canada, where she has a dedicated local following. While her music is best appreciated live, she has produced one of best albums of 2004 and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

This is a beautiful album. It is one of those wonderful albums which you discover new things you love about it with each new sitting. At first One Evening hooked me in. I listened to this track on repeat for around 6 hours non-stop before I explored else where on the album. Then I couldn't get over Feist's reworking of The Bee Gees Inside & Out, it is the sort of heart break disco that Sister Sledge made with Thinking of You, dance away your tears. One of my fave all time singers is true jazz original Blossom Dearie but Feist's take of Now at Last puts Blossom's in the shade and rips your heart out with its beauty. I'm still discovering the beauty of tracks I never focussed on at the beginning as much....Mushaboom, Secret Heart, When I Was a Young Girl...WOW!
Feist is a trully wonderful singer with that rare combination of vunerability, power and purity. Gonzales' production is a great example of how less can be much much more and Let it Die has to be one of the most beautifully recorded albums (sonically speaking) ever. I believe this album will grow in stature and it will continue to find a new audience until it is recognised as a modern classic.

Feist is Canada's best-kept secret. Not since Bet.E & Stef (another Canadian gem) have I experienced a line-up of songs so utterly listenable and ambient. It's weird because I quickly grew extremely tired of that whole "songstress trip-hop" scene (Everything But The Girl, Morcheeba, Portishead etc.) that peaked in the mid-90s, yet this album is bringing me back to when I was just introduced to that genre, when I was like "hmm the production is tight and... ooh dang this woman's voice is incredible... me likey a lot." Feist's voice has that powerful haunting presence that women like Everything's Tracey Thorn and Portishead's Beth Gibbons had - the kind of organic sound that, in the trip hop scene, was appreciated for its juxtaposition with the synths, blips and buzzes. The plus side on Let It Die is that Feist's voice by no means compensates for redundant electronica, as the production is equally outstanding. I'm reminded of so many different styles adopted in so many great albums that never grow tired for me. Listening to 'One Evening' and 'Leisure Suite' remind me of the bossa nova of Beck's 'Mutations' and 'Guero'; the uplifting folk edge to 'Mushaboom' and 'Secret Heart' remind me of the folkier side of Finley Quayes's 'Maverick a Strike'; the molasses-thick funk of 'Inside and Out', a BeeGees cover, would make Jamiroquai proud; the solemn operatic tracks like 'Let It Die' and 'Lonely Lonely' are reminiscent of a melodramatic Jeff Buckley or Rufus Wainwright.

Having listed all those greats, all those artists whose music is among the most listenable and enriching music I have encountered, Feist is unquestionably one of my favorite best kept secrets. I would say that this is so because she is a near-perfect culmination of all my favorite musicians of the last decade. Her voice is commanding yet soft and sweet - similar to the trip hop songstresses who came and went; the production is deep, rich and never uninteresting - similar to the ever-enigmatic Beck or Finely Quaye. And last, her single "Inside and Out" is the funkiest jam I've laid my paws on since "Canned Heat", and that's never a bad thing. So bottom line is that this album is virtually flawless: with the best of both worlds - a great voice and suberb tunes - it's a crime not to own this album.

This is an incredible album feist is giving us today.A very pure and fragile voice flying upon shades of music.A certain sense of humor melted with melancholia.Live performances to be seen,how magical to see an angel landing on stage for a few moments.I just love her

If Lesie Feist sounds familiar, it's because of her musical resume -- it ranges from Canadian indie-popsters Broken Social Scene to female rapper Peaches to the Kings of Convenience. That sort of resume also makes one wonder -- what will her solo debut, "Let It Die," sound like?

The answer: Stripped down, sensual pop music, with a touch of jazz and trip-hop around the edges. It kicks off with only the strums of an acoustic guitar, before Feist jumps in like an orphaned torch singer. "Well it's time to begin/as the summer sets in/It's the scene you set for new lovers," she croons.

From there on, Feist doesn't even slow down. She ventures into cheery, catchy pop like "Mushaboom," sensual slow ballads, rippling trippy songs, and smooth torch songs. There's even -- surprisingly -- a cover of the Bee Gees' "Inside And Out," which she gives a funky spin, and a delicately catchy cover of Ron Sexsmith's underrated "Secret Heart."

The flavour of Feist's music isn't the sort that sets off fireworks and sets you raving about how much fun it is. "Let It Die" is the sort of album that is periodically hailed as being the real deal -- no studio tricks, little musical polish, and a reliance on good songwriting and tunes rather than hooks. In other words, pure music.

The star of the music is Feist herself; her vocals are front-and-center, and she proves herself a rare kind of singer. No "American Idol" vocal explosions, no hyperdramatics. Instead, Feist flexes her vocals in all sorts of different ways -- breathy, husky, ethereal and coy, and and moving along with the music in perfect sync.

Not that Feist's good voice doesn't mean that the music isn't also good. Most of the instrumentation is based on piano and acoustic guitar, with snapping fingers, cowbells, a hint of synth and handclaps thrown in. It's very simple, and very pretty, whether trying out catchy pop or traditional-sounding folk. Only a few songs, like the clunky "Lonely Lonely," fail to be captivating.

Leslie Feist moves out of the shadow of the other bands and artists she's worked with, and establishes herself with the beautiful "Let It Die." A rare and good type of pop.

Even though an album such as this is destined big time for the mainstream its quality and appeal are on a very high level, high enough to be liked even by lsiteners such as myself who normally go for more alternative types of sounds.

The singer of Feist will easily remind you of Sade in certain songs while in others she'll bring to mind some of the smoothest jazz voices you've heard even if here it happens to be heard in a pop album.

As for the melodies you'll have the lingering suspicion that "Let It Die" was actually aimed for the Christmas market. Cozy, warm soundscapes that inspire you to listen while infront of a fireplace. But once you stop taking the elements apart and you let yourself hear this as a whole it surfaces for the wonderful album that it is. And, it's also one of those albums known as "growers". I had this tendency to resist it when i initially heard it a few times, but each added time meant that it kept appealing to me more until i eventually gave in and decided that this is simply great stuff.

The element that steals the show are of course the vocals. Without that silky voice carrying the album there wouldn't be enough left.

A surprisingly good, more than good in fact, commercial album that you wont be ashamed to shed your hard earned money for.

This album is so lo-fi it could be background music, but Feist's voice and personal lyrics make her music impossible to tune out. Let It Die isn't overproduced and the instrumentation is given a backing role as to not overpower Feist's voice. That's the strong point, as she switches easily between smoky drawls and sweet pop licks. It's a laid-back album with elements of jazz, disco, and pop. The only thing keeping me from giving Feist 5 stars is because her own songs are much better than the covers.

fabulous is all i have to say. listened to it all weekend and can't get it out of my head. from broken social scene to this - just incredible.

Refreshingly different. There are a couple of songs that seem out of place in the mix of the cd. Overall, I like it a lot!