The Reminder

Feist has nothing to worry about

It has not been a year since the remix collection of Canadian star Leslie Feist Open Season was put out, and the singer releases her third solo works The Reminder as part of her promise to the fans. Having collaborated with professional producers and got an invaluable experience of singing in duo, Feist has started intensive work on creating a new record. As before the main stake is made at the vocals, but from the very first sounds of the album it is clear that the performer has nothing to worry about as she feels absolutely calm with a microphone. She experiments bravely with tunes, demonstrating now and again the width of her voice range. That is why each track seems to live a life of its own, to tell a personal story. The plots on The Reminder's songs, as on the previous albums, are quite inelaborate and at first sight do not seem too deep. The thing is though that Feist is trying to draw our attention to the little nothings of life, the most ordinary situations, some nature phenomena we are used to, and that is the secret of the songs' attractiveness.

Each song on The Reminder has its advantages

Despite The Reminder being a less eclectic album than the two first ones, it is by no means less powerful or less interesting. The rich sounding of Feist's vocals impresses regardless what genre she turns to: jazz, folk or rock. Needless to say that love has remained the album's main theme, although one can find few songs of happy lovers on The Reminder. The opener So Sorry is a soft acoustic ballad, in which Feist appeals to her man after they have had an argument, whereas slow compositions The Park and Intuition are filled with a sad muse. One of the most interesting tracks is undoubtedly My Moon My Man, on which the singer's voice sounds somewhat differently due to a sharp rhythm and a simplistic tune, and The Water pleases with unusual lyrics rich in witty metaphors. Another unique number is composition Sea Lion Woman, featuring elements of Nina Simone's famous song See-Line Woman. Although many might judge Feist for such a daring attempt, the outcome is really worth it, that is one of the best tracks on The Reminder. On the whole each song on the record has its advantages, but the biggest surprise for the fans is an outstanding example of combination of an artfully made accompaniment and amazing vocal part – composition Limit To Your Love.

A harmonious and integral work

Feist's vocals are able to do a lot of things. Melancholic tracks obtain a greater depth and more vivid compositions, those closer to country, sound merrier and more optimistic when she performs them. Probably that is why The Reminder is rightfully thought the best work of the Canadian chanteuse. Then again, there are some other reasons. Although Feist has never limited herself when it came to the choice of musical direction, this time the diversity of genres has drawn to a head. The album is impossible to refer to anything in particular, and in fact there is no need to. When an artist enjoys one's own singing in such an open way as Feist does, all the boundaries simply disappear. Her voice sounds lightly and deeply on each song, and complicated melodies make it possible to make supposition of the singer's doubtless talent. Thus on the one hand The Reminder is Leslie Feist's most varied and inhomogeneous album to date. On the other hand, all the tracks are united by a common topic, and in general it is conceived as a harmonious and integral work.