Customer Reviews

Metals

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Feist's allure for me has always been those vocals--sharp enough to cut your heart like shaved glass, yet oozing into the corners like clotted cream, floating up and up, shimmering and warm, despairing and lovely. Comparisons with Tori Amos are not unreasonable when it comes to her delivery, but her whispers of desperation are hers alone. Music on this album hovers around the intersection of indie and alt country, a good place for her, and one which she inhabits beautifully. "Little bird/have you got a key?/ Unlock the Lock inside of me..." she sings in the opening of the beautiful "Caught in a Long Wind", and shivers creep up and down my spine, I almost feel ashamed to listen to something so personal. How can she share like this? Something so beautiful? She seems intent on wrapping her listener in layers of her soul, but is it real? Is it an illusion? I'm not sure. But I'm willing to keep exploring. Sometimes, the simplest lyrics become the most profound: in "Bittersweet Melodies", she offers slips of memories, evocations of those relationships that we all have had and regret--"I remember us/'fore we turn to dusk/ Just when these feelings were all about/ When we still could trust/in our hearts". Sometimes, for an instant, I catch a remembrance of the pure beauty of Elizabeth Fraser in her voice, and my heart catches. This is such a mature, such a wonderful album. I love it.

This album was not what I expected. And I can understand the negative reviews of disappointed fans, because I was confused when I first heard the album. I was expecting songs in the tradition of mushaboom--sultry, quirky, fun, and summery, but I was surprised by this selection of cool, edgy, poetic and intellectual songs. I was so confused that I thought I didn't like the album. It was only on the second listening, after getting over my initial shock and confusion that I really gave it a good listening to. In fact, it is a wonderful album and it has grown on me since. I love it more with every subsequent listening. There's always so much more to discover. Metal features twelve unique songs that showcases a contemplative and poetic charm. The lyrics are all beautiful, and my favorite of the selection is "Comfort Me", the second last track that features the clever simplicity of a Japanese haiku. The lyrics of the song suggests a reference to (if not an inspiration from) Haiku. The tune like its lyrics is elegantly simple. Like all the wonderful haikus I love, "Comfort Me" is focused, deceptively simple, clever and carries a tongue in cheek charm.

I can't agree more that this is a more mature and contemplative album. It was definitely not what I was hoping for, but I think fans of Feist would not be too disappointed with the change. The fun, quirky and warmth of the Feist songs we love have simply taken a turn for the contemplative, idiosyncratic, and adopted a cooler edge. I read in an interview that Feist had previously contemplated naming the album Mettle but settled on Metals instead. Both are great titles I think, and this album with its new and surprising sound certainly showcased Feist's mettle. It seems to suggests that Feist's music is taking a new direction, but it is one that I will follow. This album has brought me to strange unexpected places, but overall, I say the journey has been really rewarding.

4.5 stars

Having recorded a song quite as ubiquitous as "1234" which when attached to an advert for the I Pod Nano helped shift the little sound units by the millions, tends to be the defining "fact" of Leslie Feist's career thus far. Alternatively very clever people who read Amazon reviews know that this joyous little pop song is the proverbial tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to Feist's talent and what we have with her new album is the productions of some very powerful song craft that leads to the production of very precious metals.

Straddling the world between her indie roots in the great Canadian band Broken Social Scene and appearances on Sesame Street are all taken in her stride by Leslie Feist although on this new album there is too much for the Muppets to sing about. Indeed "Metals" is a darker beast than its predecessor (which also had its moments) but ultimately an altogether stronger and more mature album. It opens with the pounding "The bad in each other" a great folky song which sees Feist almost mixing the Fleet Foxes with Kate Bush to great effect. The next two songs are amongst the most haunting on the album and show her emerging as a major songwriting talent. First up is "Graveyard' with a tender vocal and an almost Tom Waits style backdrop full of horns and an extended exhortation to the inhabitants of the burial ground to "Bring them all back to life". The third song "Caught a long wind" has that sort of icy beauty that Sufjan Stevens has made such a trademark and is a stunning highlight. Alternatively "How come you never go there" is a light soulful blues ballad which stands in sharp contrast. The pivot of the album is "A Commotion" a thumping anthem of indie pop full of deep male chants, violins and thumping drums. This one may split the jury but it shows an artist prepared to take risks which largely work. More gentle are the lovely proceeding tracks "The circle married the line" and the sumptuous "Bittersweet Melodies". Your reviewers favourite track thus far is the five minute plus haunting slow jazz of "Anti Pioneer" a burning love song which not be out of place on a Cat Power album.

Throughout the album Feist sings brilliantly no more so on the hushed alt country acoustics of "Cicada's and gulls" or on the ethereal closer "Get it get it wrong". Undoubtedly some may bemoan the lack of catchy radio friendly accessibility which previous songs like "I feel it all" and "My moon my man" had in spades. Indeed the Amazon download appears to omit two other tracks that are widely available namely the gothic blues of "Pine Moon" which Nick Cave should cover ASAP and the much more feisty soul of "Woe be" (answers on a postcard please?). Frankly while they are both great songs neither are hits waiting to trouble the charts. In the last analysis accepting that the vibe of "Metals" tends to locate it in more pensive corners which she explored on "The Reminders" Overall the feel of this album is autumnal and like the wonderful season that it captures Feist infuses "Metals" with the feeling that the possibilities of summer are gone, and the chill of winter is on the horizon. You would be foolish not to let this album soundtrack the forthcoming months.

I rarely ever do reviews, but after reading some people who have given this wonderful album such bad reviews, I felt compelled to. To start this is not your "Pop" type of Feist you may be expecting. These songs are not as catchy as "The Reminder" Album. This album at times gets gritty with the instruments. It gets raw with stringed instruments. It gets down to beautiful vocals. It brings elements from different angles of music and makes them almost surreal. Most of the songs start off slow and build into gorgeous landscapes that fill your ears with pure creative sounds. Like I said, it is not very poppy. It is very heartfelt. If your looking for poppy you will be disappointed. If your looking for an album filled with radiance that continues to grow like a tree on every listen, buy this album. I love it, but it might not be for you.

Feist's last two records were really enjoyable gems, with engaging melodies, original lyrics, and beautiful arrangements. Each song on METALS is missing something. Usually a track will have original lyrics and beautiful arrangements, but overall it lacks the engaging melodies. I'm going to quickly describe every track and my initial reaction to what is now my fifth listen. I wanted very much to like this record, and I've finally decided it's no good.

The Bad In Each Other opens up with something interesting, unfortunately the lyrics and concept are pretty unoriginal. A man and woman bring out the worst in each other? I've never heard of such a thing! The instrumentation is cool, but I'm left feeling that while a decent track, I really hope the next one takes it up a notch.

Unfortunately Graveyard was the first song (and so early in the record!) that I had to skip. Really it's the first Feist song I've ever heard that really irked me. It's supposed to be cute, but it comes off as trite. "Bring them all back to life"... what a great idea. And too easy of a melody. Too obvious. This is trying to be dark and dramatic and it's -NOT-INTERESTING-. In fact, I want to bury her there.

Caught A Long Wind is a nice song. Now that I'm a few songs past it, I can't really tell you much about it though. Too bad. Thought maybe there was something memorable here for a second. How Come You Never Go There is simply annoying; if you can imagine someone singing "How-Come-YouNever-GoThere How-Come-I'mSo-AloneHere" in a BARELY interesting-enough melody, you can imagine the song and there's not much more to it. As far as "doing something different" which clearly was her aim here, A Commotion succeeds in conveying and maintaining a tension with intense strings and lyrics to match. It's decent. It's dark without being forced. Yay! Easily the best song I've heard so far, even the startling male chanting sort of fits in the mix.

The Circle Married The Line is OK enough. But that's it. Bittersweet Melodies is absolutely tediously boring. Anti-Pioneer takes us beyond boring and even beyond pointless. It tries so hard it almost destroys the entire album. On her last record, THE REMINDER, "The Water" was quiet and sparse, had beautiful poetry and a heartfelt melody, on "Anti-Pioneer" she's quiet and sparse, but the lyrics are dull, the melody is uninspired and the arrangement is a desperate attempt to be dynamic and climactic. Most disappointing track on the album, and probably the most disappointing track of the year. Sad face.

The rest of the album is more of the same. Sort of interesting, but not memorable enough. Undiscovered First is not terrible but it's still boring. It comes close to being great at points, but I think it's mired in the middle of an album that has sounded desperate to engage me and failed at every turn, so it winds up getting lost. On second thought, it even gets lost in itself when toward the end there's unnecessarily complex arrangements and even more unnecessary choir singing. Sigh, I almost liked that one! Cicadas and Gulls is pretty. But do I have to hear it again? No, never...Comfort Me is an enjoyable song at first as well, seems like a rough cut, which is cool, and her voice sounds great. Maybe this is a good song? Oh great, half-way through the song she needs a choir to sing a bunch of "ooh-ooh-oohs" and "hee-hee-hees" and "na-na-na-na-na" and THERE'S NO REASON FOR IT. I don't know what this song is about! AND I DON'T CARE. I will never listen to this one again. Next!

And here we are at the end of the record. Get It Wrong, Get It Right immediately has an engaging guitar melody, and her voice is gorgeous and I immediately feel bad about everything I just felt/said. But the album isn't good if it's left me feeling bad even when I'm hearing something good.

Come back in a few years with something you don't have to force, Feist. I'll be interested to hear it.

Music critics unfortunately miss out on some solid albums released throughout the year. Feist's Metals is one of those albums from a personal standpoint. With so many captivating efforts to cover, for whatever reason, Feist missed `the list.' It should NOT have by any means, considering how consistent, enjoyable, and well conceived it is as a whole. The songwriting is strong, incredibly moody at times, while the production is always alluring and captivating. While Metals may not quite compare to the `superhuman' strength of Florence + The Machine's exceptional sophomore set Ceremonials, it is pretty darn close.

The album opens on the strength of "The Bad in Each Other," which starts with nice thudding drums to open the cut. The folksy nature of the cut is unique and is capped off by understated vocals by Feist. Feist's vocal tone is nice and clearly executed here. The use of horns and strings on the refrain is a superb change of pace and timbre from the folksy rumination of the verses. "The Bad in Each Other" sets the overall tone and mood of Metals. "Graveyard" picks up where "The Bad in Each Other" left off. Feist's vocals has a distinct presence within the production work, contrasting the timbre and mix of the preceding cut. The acoustic piano is a nice touch, sporadically played and mixed to the left within the mix. The change of pace with lush instrumentation following the second iteration of the refrain is a superb touch, yielding sort of an instrumental bridge. "Graveyard" turns out to be another gem.

"Caught a Long Wind" possesses a nice understated sound with Feist's vocals never rising to a `boil.' The use of upright bass, acoustic guitar (panned right), acoustic piano (panned left) and strings is smart and beautiful in orchestration. As far as the excitability, "Caught a Long Wind" falls short of the augustness of either "The Bad in Each Other" or "Graveyard," but still proves to be a solid listen. If nothing else, the intensification of the percussive aspect of the cut is a plus, noted by claps on beats two and four towards the end of the cut. "How Come You Never Go There" opens with nicely harmonized vocals singing on neutral syllables. The pop-soul vibe contrasts the pop-folk feel of the previous cut, which is smart. Vocally, Feist's vocals are nonchalant, but pleasant, exerting only slight burst of belting and spirit. The feistiness of this cut helps to sell it more than "Caught a Long Wind."

"A Commotion" is completely different than previous cuts and valedictory. The busy rhythmic vibe helps to propel the cut forward while Feist's vocal lines still possess a chill, relaxed feel. Eventually, the agitated rhythms combust into the dynamic spoken word "The Commotion!" which is both alluring and shocking. Speaking of alluring, the use of horns on the spirited refrain only add to the the delightful, yet agitated timbre. "A Commotion" is nothing short of brilliant. While "A Circle Married the Line" follows stiff competition, it holds its own. Feist explores her upper register delivering accurate, clear vocals. The harmonic progression that underlies the cut is brilliant. The musical ideas here are superb too; there are nice traces of rhythmic (stressed) and unstressed components, much like say a poem. "Bittersweet Melodies" opens mysteriously, with Feist's vocals likened to a cooing bird. The songwriting is solid, though at times the cut itself feels a bit too understated. Regardless, Feist commits little crime on any cut from Metals.

"Anti-Pioneer" is another virtuous cut, noted for Feist's chilly, enthralling vocals. Organ is subtly mixed here to provide the cut with a more organic sound. Strings are added to enhance the timbre nearing the 4:00 mark. What makes "Anti-Pioneer" so interesting is that Feist oscillates between minimalist to maximalist vibes; the cut percolates from the minimal to the maximal and then simmers back down. Excellence is exemplified. "Undiscovered First" is even more captivating, noted by it understated four-on-the-floor thud to open the cut. Electric guitar enters in with the minimalist thud, seemingly off from the rhythm established by the aforementioned rhythm (purposely). Feist enters, in full-on minimalist mode, with only her voice. Suddenly, the refrain yields more dynamic sound with tambourine and drum thuds squarely in tempo. By the 3:40 mark, the cut erupts into something gargantuan and different from everything else. "Undiscovered First" is one of those `undiscovered' gems of 2011 that should last into 2012 and beyond!

"Cicadas and Gulls" has a fine folk-pop feel, but the static nature of the cut makes it too predictable to be as cutting edge as its predecessors. "Comfort Me" is perfect atonement, with clear, decipherable lead vocals by Feist. The highlight of "Comfort Me" are the stomping drums and dynamic sound that pervade the cut after the 2:00 mark (in a positive fashion of course). "Get It Wrong Get It Right" closes the album, but is less revolutionary or noteworthy than the best cuts.

Overall, Metals is a well conceived and well produced effort. Feist shows and delivers the upmost musicianship on this highly underrated 2011 effort. Metals is easily one of the top releases of the year, no questions asked.

When I first saw that Feist was coming out with a new album I said this to myself: I hate Feist. I hate every pop thing she stands for. I hate her music. And I definitely hate counting in music and music in commercials. But then i heard a few songs. I haven't looked back. It has become clear to me that Feist doesn't care about being poppy, or making a best-selling album (though that is nice). What Feist cares about is musical excellence, and if her at times lighter sound doesn't mesh with what you want that is fine. But she is doing what she wants and taking creative risks. That being said, every song on this record is different, and employs various musical emphases in order to make them so. Sometime the emphasis is on the bass, at other times percussion, and still others on Feist's voice. But in other places the emphasis is on the song writing, but all in just the right spots. I love this CD,, and I have come to respect Feist as a song writer and a s an artist. I highly recommend this album.

Feist has one again crafted a solid and beautiful album that could outdo her previous work! Every song on this album is expertly crafted and sound amazing. The lyrics once again stand out, acheing with sadness, beauty, and mystery. Stunning writing and it ties in amazingly with the music. Haunting, exciting, fun, and beautiful, Feist's Metals is definently one of my favorite records this year. I expect this one to be a fixture in my playlists for quite awhile.

I sampled all of 3 songs before purchasing and deciding that "it's Feist, what can go wrong?" I wasn't quite sure what to expect given the up-beat flavour of The Reminder.

The album is much closer to the slower paced Let it Die. I don't foresee any radio hits due to slow nature of the songs (While I've listened for several hours I'm often up and about so I could be missing a song or so). Since the mellow songs are one of the reasons I enjoy Feist this is not a negative. My personal favorite song is "Caught a Long Wind"

So all in all, if you liked Let it Die you have a high chance of liking this one. If you didn't like Let it Die you probably won't.

I like Feist, from front to back. This album is a compilation of average songs that often carry one tone and one pace. Like riding on a horse slowly in a circle for an hour.

It's the kind of album you listen to while you paint your walls gray during a week when it is cold and rainy.

My huge problem is the recording itself. I know its supposed to have that raw natural sound, but it's often bass heavy mix makes songs sound muddy.

Anti-Pioneer is by far the best song that builds on itself, carried mostly by her vocals and has some range. Other than that most of the songs carry one tone and have no build up or conclusion.

Like Undiscovered First, its a perfect example of riding a horse, it sounds like white noise.
I wished they would have had more variation, a bit more passion in this one. They got stuck in one gear, never moving up or down.