Metals
4/5
It’s been four years since the song ‘1234’ made Leslie Feist a surprise crossover pop star. Although it shouldn’t really have been that much of a surprise, given her golden croon, melodic knack and photogenicity.
Where the previous records often sounded like the manifestation of a daydream, this fourth effort is a more corporeally realised and frankly fleshy piece of work.
Once again Feist collaborates with Chilly Gonzalez (the hardest working man in the indie biz), who jumped on board as producer and all-round creative foil. Thus Feist’s trademark burnished croon and delicate finger-picking are bolstered by backing singers, strings, horns and a kitchen sink – best demonstrated on the all guns relatively blazing ‘Woe Be’.
If Feist has a calling card, it’s in her understated craftsmanship, which reveals detailed layers on repeat listen. Metals is every bit as packed with ideas, but these are piled on top of the songs as well as curled up inside them. Still, it’ll take several orientation listens before you start uncovering the glory of complex arrangements such as ‘The Undiscovered First’.
There are songs here which belong as much to the grand pop traditions of Phil Spector and Motown as to the folkish whimsy of Carole King or even Karen Dalton. There are huge, sunburst pop moments, introspective interludes and the odd experimental foray, as on ‘Comfort Me’ (which also features the killer line ‘When you comfort me/It doesn’t bring me comfort, actually’). Feist has never lacked confidence, but Metals shows a more extroverted side to her musical character.
