Feist; Another Great Canadian Talent!

As Canada Day is fast approaching, I have to say thank-you Canada for giving us so much great talent within our small and oft overlooked and under appreciated nation! I watched the Junos this year and was so impressed with every artist that performed. There were no pop stars dressed to the nines with voices that should be left at home with the sneakers or at least tucked away in their sparkly handbag only to be listened to after copious amounts of alcohol! Every artist who stepped on that Juno stage was there because of a genuine musical talent. Even if the genre wasn’t my favorite, it was a pleasure to hear such real musicianship in everyone.

Anyhow, one of the winners that particularly caught my attention that evening was a singer/songwriter by the name of Feist. Her CD, Let It Die (which I stole from my roomie for the first few weeks of my avid listening until she threatened me with something scary enough to make me go out and buy my own copy!) is absolutely delightful. Feist’s voice and songs are a refreshing change from standard radio play. She is from Montreal originally and now resides for the most part, I believe, in Paris. You can certainly hear the Parisian charm and distinctive European twist throughout this mesmerizing CD.

My favorite tracks on this CD are numbers 2, 9 and 10. Track number 2; Mushaboom is a fun, lighthearted song with catchy melodic tendencies. Number 3; Let It Die is a tragic song about letting go of love, the lyrics are heartbreaking and the music is simple, melancholy and effective, skip this track if you don’t want to have your tears jerked or your mascara run! Track 9 is called Secret Heart; this track is delightful and charming. Inside And Out is the tenth song and is a remake of the Bee Gees original. It is uplifting and funky, and makes you want to get up and dance!

Throughout the album Feists’ voice is innocent yet temping, it reminds me a little of Astrid Gilberto especially in Now At Last, the final song on the CD. She has a breathy but not unsupported tone; her sound is unique and surprisingly simple. So, Happy Canada Day everyone and I hope you enjoy this CD as much as I have!